Spinal Stenosis Health Center
Generally developing slowly in the later years of a person's life (usually past fifty), spinal stenosis occurs when the spinal cord in the neck (cervical spine) or the spinal nerve roots in the lower back (lumbar spine) are compressed. Symptoms of lumbar stenosis often include leg pain (sciatica) with walking, as well as tingling, weakness or numbness in the legs. Arm pain is the typical symptom of cervical spinal stenosis. For cervical spinal stenosis with myelopathy, difficulty with coordination often occurs.
Often dependent on the type of spinal stenosis and the severity of the patient's symptoms, stenosis treatment may include non-surgical options like exercise, anti-inflammatory medication, epidural injections and activity modification, or different types of back surgeries. Learn more about spinal stenosis in the following resources.
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What You Need to Know About Sciatica
The term sciatica describes the symptoms of leg pain and possibly tingling, numbness or weakness that travels from the low back through the buttock and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of the leg.
Before reviewing specific sciatica exercises, it is first important to explain what sciatica is, as the term sciatica is often misused.
In most cases, sciatica gets better on its own; in severe cases though, a combination of more advanced non-surgical treatments may be incorporated for pain relief.
Leg Pain and Numbness: What Might These Symptoms Mean?
Quite often leg pain or foot pain is not caused by a problem in the leg or foot, but rather by a condition in the lower back.