Foraminal Stenosis

A foramen is a small hole through which the nerve roots exit the spine. Foraminal stenosis refers to the narrowing of these small holes that causes the nerves exiting through them to become compressed and irritated, causing pain.

Symptoms of Foraminal Stenosis

Common symptoms include numbness, burning, tingling, and a sensation of pins and needles locally, and in the extremities. If a cervical foramen is affected, symptoms will be felt in the shoulders, arms, and hands. If a lumbar foramen in affected, the symptoms will be felt in the buttocks, legs, and feet. Muscular weakness/atrophy may begin to set in as nutrients the muscles need begin to become restricted from the nerve compression.

What Causes Foraminal Stenosis

The most common causes of foraminal stenosis include bone spurs (bony projections), disc herniations, disc bulging, arthritis, and ligament thickening.

Treatment Options for Foraminal Stenosis

Treatment of foraminal stenosis includes anti-inflammatory medications, cortisone injections, activity modification, physical therapy, and exercises that target the back. When required, Endoscopic lumbar and cervical foraminotomy are minimally invasive procedures for the correction of foraminal stenosis. Through this procedure, a laser, radio frequency, or mechanical tools remove the debris that is causing the stenosis. The incision is very small and the recovery time for this procedure is minimal.

Endoscopic foraminotomy is performed as an out-patient procedure. It has a low incidence of complications. However, because it involves spine surgery, it is strongly recommended that a board certified spinal surgeon perform the surgery