Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis describes narrowing around the spinal canal or the openings where nerves leave the spine. It is commonly associated with degenerative disc and joint changes and may affect the neck or lower back.
Symptoms depend on where the narrowing occurs and whether a nerve is being irritated or compressed.
At Auckland Disc Clinic, we assess how closely the imaging findings match the symptoms before deciding whether conservative treatment is appropriate.
What Does Spinal Stenosis Feel Like?
Lumbar stenosis may cause:
lower-back or buttock pain
aching, tingling or numbness into the legs
heaviness or weakness in the legs
reduced tolerance for standing or walking
symptoms that ease when sitting or bending forward
Some people describe being able to walk only a limited distance before needing to sit down.
Cervical stenosis may produce arm or hand symptoms and, where the spinal cord is involved, can be considerably more significant.
What Causes the Narrowing?
Stenosis often develops gradually as several changes occur together.
These may include:
loss of disc height
disc bulging
enlargement or degeneration of the facet joints
bone spurs
thickening of surrounding tissues
spondylolisthesis
narrowing of the neural foramina
An MRI may show significant narrowing without severe symptoms, while comparatively modest narrowing in the wrong location can irritate a nerve considerably.
The scan therefore needs to be interpreted alongside the clinical examination.
Can Spinal Decompression Help?
Some patients with predominantly foraminal or disc-related narrowing may be suitable for spinal decompression.
The aim is to reduce mechanical loading around the affected area and improve the environment surrounding an irritated nerve.
However, spinal stenosis covers a broad range of presentations.
Severe central stenosis, significant neurological loss or spinal cord involvement may not be appropriate for decompression and may require specialist assessment.
This is why we do not treat “stenosis” simply because the word appears on an MRI report.
When Further Investigation Matters
Symptoms such as progressive weakness, significant balance problems, loss of hand coordination, bowel or bladder changes or rapidly worsening neurological symptoms require careful medical assessment.
Where the findings suggest that conservative treatment is unlikely to be appropriate, we will recommend further investigation or specialist referral.
Start With an Initial Disc Assessment
Your first visit is a dedicated 30-minute assessment with Dr David Kay.
We review your symptoms, neurological findings and relevant imaging to determine:
where the narrowing is occurring
whether a nerve appears to be involved
how well the imaging matches your symptoms
whether decompression may be appropriate
whether another form of care or specialist referral is more suitable
Initial Disc Assessment — $130
Treatment is not included in the initial assessment