M48.01: Spinal stenosis Occipito-atlanto-axial region
Your vertebral canal has narrowed at the junction between your head and your cervical spine.
The spine consists of several sections. The cervical spine begins below the head. The cervical spine is very mobile. Below that is the thoracic spine. The ribs are attached to the thoracic spine. Below the thoracic spine is the lumbar spine. The lumbar spine is also very mobile and it bears a large part of the body’s weight. After the lumbar spine, the sacrum and coccyx join.
The vertebrae form the vertebral canal on the rear of the spinal column. The spinal cord runs in the vertebral canal. Nerve fibers run from the brain into the body via the spinal cord and form nerves there. Every nerve is responsible for a particular part of the skin and for certain muscles. These nerves are important for instance in enabling you to feel and move the muscles.
The spinal canal may have narrowed for different reasons. These include wear and tear or injuries, for example.
The narrowing of the spinal canal can cause pain or sensitivity disorders. This can affect your arms, for example. For example, the skin in the affected areas may tingle or be numb. It may also be that you are no longer able to move certain muscles properly. It may also impair your breathing.
Additional indicator
On medical documents, the ICD code is often appended by letters that indicate the diagnostic certainty or the affected side of the body.
- G: Confirmed diagnosis
- V: Tentative diagnosis
- Z: Condition after
- A: Excluded diagnosis
- L: Left
- R: Right
- B: Both sides
Further information
Source
Provided by the non-profit organization “Was hab’ ich?” gemeinnützige GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).