Spinal canal stenosis: Meaning in a Radiology Report

Also written as: spinal stenosis, central canal stenosis, central stenosis, canal narrowing

Spinal canal stenosis means the central tunnel of the spine, which holds the spinal cord and nerve roots, has become narrower. It is common with age.

What it means

The spinal canal is the tunnel formed by the stacked vertebrae. In the neck and upper back it holds the spinal cord. In the lower back it holds a bundle of nerve roots called the cauda equina. Narrowing usually builds slowly from a mix of disc bulges, bone spurs, enlarged facet joints and a thickened ligament. Reports grade it mild, moderate or severe, sometimes with a measurement in millimeters.

When it matters

Mild narrowing is common and often causes nothing. In the lower back, tighter narrowing can cause pain, heaviness or numbness in the legs when standing or walking, which eases on sitting or bending forward. In the neck, doctors check whether the spinal cord is pressed or has changed in brightness on MRI, since cord pressure can affect the hands and balance. Your symptoms and exam, more than the grade, guide what happens next.

Questions to ask your doctor

How narrow is the canal, and at which levels?
Is the spinal cord or any nerve root being pressed?
Which new symptoms should make me contact you quickly?

General information, not medical advice. What a finding means for you depends on your symptoms, your history and the images themselves, so talk your results through with a doctor.