Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis is a medical condition in which the spinal canal narrows and compresses the spinal cord and nerves. This is usually due to the common occurrence of spinal degeneration that occurs with aging. It can also sometimes be caused by spinal disc herniation, osteoporosis or a tumor. In the cervical (neck) and lumbar (low back) region it can be a congenital condition to varying degrees.

Bone Density

Bone density (or bone mineral density) is a medical term referring to the amount of matter per square centimeter of bones. Note that this is not a true “density”, which would be measured in mass per cubic area. It is measured by a procedure called densitometry, often performed in the radiology or nuclear medicine departments of hospitals or clinics. The measurement is painless and non-invasive and involves minimal radiation exposure. Measurements are most commonly made over the lumbar spine and over the upper part of the hip. The forearm is scanned if either the hip or the lumbar spine can’t be. Average density is around 1500 kg m-3.