The spine is the bodyβs central highway, with the spinal canal as the main lane that handles all the traffic. There are entrances and exits, or spinal cavities, that allow the nerves to branch off the spinal cord and run throughout the body. A traffic jam develops during lane closures, accidents, or construction at an entrance or exit. Lateral recess stenosis causes the narrowing of the spineβs lateral recess/Leeβs entrance, which can compress nerves, impede nerve circulation, and cause painful symptoms.
Table of Contents
The spinal column provides a strong and flexible structure for the spinal cord. The nerves travel from the spinal cord through various openings and passageways to the rest of the body. One of the openings is known as the lateral recess. Stenosis means narrowing. When a lateral recess in a vertebra develops stenosis, the nerve in that area can get jammed/pinched with no room to move, causing varying symptoms and sensations.
Depending on where the stenosis is taking place (neck, middle or low back), common symptoms of lateral recess stenosis can include:
The National Institute of Health lists the major causes:
Lateral recess stenosis has no current cure, but there are options to treat stenosis symptoms.
If activity modification, NSAIDs, bracing, and physical therapy donβt work or provide adequate relief, a doctor or specialist could recommend surgery.
American College of Rheumatology (n.d.) βSpinal Stenosisβ www.rheumatology.org/I-Am-A/Patient-Caregiver/Diseases-Conditions/Spinal-Stenosis
Arthritis Foundation (n.d.) βCorticosteroidsβ www.arthritis.org/drug-guide/corticosteroids/corticosteroids
Drug Design, Development and Therapy (2014) βSteroid for epidural injection in spinal stenosis: a systematic review and meta-analysisβ doi.org/10.2147/DDDT.S78070
Lee, Seung Yeop, et al. βLumbar Stenosis: A Recent Update by Review of Literature.β Asian spine journal vol. 9,5 (2015): 818-28. doi:10.4184/asj.2015.9.5.818
Liu, Kuan, et al. βSteroid for epidural injection in spinal stenosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.β Drug design, development, and therapy vol. 9 707-16. Jan 30, 2015, doi:10.2147/DDDT.S78070
Medline Plus (n.d.) βAchondroplasiaβ medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/achondroplasia/
Microspine (n.d.) βEndoscopic Decompressionβ www.microspinemd.com/microspine-surgery/endoscopic-decompression/
National Institutes of Health (n.d.) βSpinal Stenosisβ www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/spinal-stenosis
Northwest Medical Center (2022) βLateral Recess/Foraminal Stenosisβ nw-mc.com/lateral-recessforaminal-stenosis/
NSPC Brain and Spine Surgery (n.d.) Lateral Recess Stenosis nspc.com/lateral-recess-stenosis/
Raja A, Hoang S, Patel P, et al. Spinal Stenosis. [Updated 2022 Jul 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441989/
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