Nonsurgical Korean integrative treatments for symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis: A three-armed randomized controlled pilot trial protocol. Lumbar spinal stenosis: Treatment and prognosis. Cervical stenosis, myelopathy and radiculopathy.Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier 2015. In: Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Musculoskeletal Disorders, Pain, and Rehabilitation. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier 2016. Mechanical and other lesions of the spine, nerve roots and spinal cord. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Rarely, untreated severe spinal stenosis may progress and cause permanent: Spinal imaging can differentiate these causes. These include trauma, congenital spinal deformity such as scoliosis, and a genetic disease affecting bone and muscle development throughout the body. Though degenerative changes can cause spinal stenosis in younger people, other causes need to be considered. Most people with spinal stenosis are over the age of 50. Swelling of nearby tissue immediately after back surgery also can put pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. Displaced bone from a spinal fracture may damage the contents of the spinal canal. Car accidents and other trauma can cause dislocations or fractures of one or more vertebrae. These are uncommon and identifiable on spine imaging with an MRI or CT. Abnormal growths can form inside the spinal cord, within the membranes that cover the spinal cord or in the space between the spinal cord and vertebrae. These thickened ligaments can bulge into the spinal canal. The tough cords that help hold the bones of your spine together can become stiff and thickened over time. Cracks in a disk's exterior may allow some of the soft inner material to escape and press on the spinal cord or nerves. The soft cushions that act as shock absorbers between your vertebrae tend to dry out with age. Paget's disease, a bone disease that usually affects adults, also can cause bone overgrowth in the spine. Wear and tear damage from osteoarthritis on your spinal bones can prompt the formation of bone spurs, which can grow into the spinal canal. But most spinal stenosis occurs when something happens to narrow the open space within the spine. Some people are born with a small spinal canal. The bones of your spine form a spinal canal, which protects your spinal cord (nerves). The backbone (spine) runs from your neck to your lower back. These problems can reduce the amount of space available for your spinal cord and the nerves that branch off it.

As your spine ages, it's more likely to experience bone spurs or herniated disks.

Narrowing of the spine