What is a neural foramen?

What is a neural foramen?

‌Your spine is made up of 33 vertebrae. Each one has openings to let nerves that branch off the spinal cord pass through to other parts of the body. When these openings, called neural foramen, narrow or get blocked, they can press on your nerves. This is called neural foraminal stenosis.

What does it mean to have neural foraminal narrowing?

Neural foraminal stenosis, or neural foraminal narrowing, is a type of spinal stenosis. It occurs when the small openings between the bones in your spine, called the neural foramina, narrow or…

Where are the foramens on the spinal cord?

As we have already seen, foramen are openings on each side of a spine’s vertebrae that allow nerve roots from the spinal cord to pass. Bilateral narrowing is where both foramina are affected while unilateral narrowing affects only one foramen.

What does it mean to have foraminal stenosis?

Foraminal Stenosis (Neural Foraminal Narrowing) Neural foraminal narrowing, also known as foraminal stenosis, is a condition that results when the spinal nerve roots are compressed. These nerve roots run through small openings at every level of the spinal column, called foramina. When these foramina become narrowed…

What to do about right foraminal narrowing pain?

If your doctor has confirmed a diagnosis of right foraminal narrowing, he or she may suggest a conservative treatment regimen of pain medication, intermittent rest, hot-cold therapy and stretching. If weeks or months of these methods do not help your symptoms to decrease, consider contacting USA Spine Care.

What makes spinal stenosis worse?

Prolonged walking and standing tend to make the symptoms of spinal stenosis worse, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons . Although walking is helpful for weight loss, overall conditioning and balance, you want to limit yourself to short walks.

How serious is foraminal stenosis?

Severity of foraminal stenosis. This condition often develops as a result of herniated discs, bulging discs, bone spurs, facet cysts and thickening of the ligaments. When the nerves become pinched as they exit the tunnel, this can increase the severity of your condition, resulting in back pain, numbness, tingling and weakness.

What are the signs of stenosis?

One of the most common symptoms of spinal stenosis is a pain in the leg while walking or pseudoclaudication. Upright exercise and prolonged standing can worsen this symptom, which usually progresses over time and eases as soon as the person sits down.

Can my spinal stenosis be reversed?

No, spinal stenosis can’t be reversed but the process might be able to be slowed if you take good care of yourself by maintaining a healthy weight, eating healthy foods, exercising regularly to keep your bones and muscles strong, and following your healthcare provider’s instructions to best manage any existing medical conditions you may have.