In this episode: Stenosis – basically it is narrowing of the spinal canal and it is quite common.
Chip Review: Funny-Frisch Kessel Chips Sweet Chili & Red Pepper Big Thank you to Liz Schneider for bringing these back from Germany
Trivia question of the week: Who was the shortest US president?
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Today we are going to be discussing stenosis and we will be reviewing the Funny-Frisch Kessel Chips Sweet Chili & Red Pepper. These chips have been delivered to us by Liz Schneider following her recent trip to Germany.
Stenosis, simply is narrowing of the spinal canal. Usually bone related but can be from other structures. Thickening of the ligamentum flavum is one. I just saw a great ligamentum flavum at the Museum of Technology in San Jose. They had a Body Works exhibit with Flamenco dancers. One of the dancers had her back opened and you could see the ligamentum flavum nicely.
The ligamentum flavum means yellow ligament. It runs along the inside of the spinal canal. If that thickens it will narrow the space and play a role in stenosis.
Stenosis is not a disk bulge, it is not disk degeneration, it has nothing to do with disks. Most people report Low back pain or Sciatica. The most common additional change you will see with it is a spondylolisthesis. This is when one vertebra is shifted forward of backward relative to the ones above or below it.
Sometime stenosis is referred to as shoppers’ disease. One of the classic symptoms is that you can walk for about 200 feet up to a half-mile the pain become to much and then you need a break. You will also see this as someone who has to bend or hunch over his or her shopping cart to prevent symptoms.
In almost all cases symptoms are reduced with sitting or other forms of spine flexion. This immediate reduction in symptoms is one of the tale-tale signs that someone is dealing with stenosis. This symptom pattern is known as neurogenic claudication.
