Cervical Spinal Stenosis Treatment Specialists in Brooklyn NYC

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What is cervical spinal stenosis?
Cervical spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal in its cervical part. This narrowing of the spinal canal, regardless of its cause, puts pressure in the spinal cords and nerves that originate from the spinal cord. Spinal stenosis, in general, is more common in the cervical and lumbar parts of the spine.

What causes cervical spinal stenosis?
In most of the cases, spinal stenosis occurs when something reduces the normal space within the spine. However, some people are born with a narrow spinal canal. The most common causes of cervical spinal stenosis include:

• Herniated disc – it is well known that the vertebral column consists of vertebrae that are separated from one another by cartilage discs. These cartilage discs work like cushions and shock absorbers for the vertebral column. In cases of any injuries of the back or degenerative diseases that affect the discs, making them weak or even tear, the center of the discs pops out, compressing the spinal nerves. This causes inflammation and pain often accompanied by numbness of the affected leg, due to the fact that the sciatic nerve becomes pinched, this condition known as sciatica, it causes sciatic nerve pain.
• Spinal injuries – like car accidents, sports injuries or any other major trauma can lead to injuries of the spine, especially its cervical part.
• Thickened ligaments – ligaments of the cervical part of the human body can become stiff and thickened over time, narrowing also the spinal canal.
• Overgrowth of the bone – bone spurs can grow due to osteoarthritis of the cervical spine. Paget’s disease is another medical condition, affecting adults, which is characterized by overgrowth of the bones, including also the spine.
• Tumors – abnormal tissue can grow inside the spinal cord, narrowing this way the spinal canal.