Many people with lumbar spinal stenosis find that they can successfully manage their condition through an easy self care program including specific exercises, posture changes, pain management and nutrition.
Spinal Stenosis
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) and leg tingling, weakness, or numbness. Arm pain is a typical symptom of cervical spinal stenosis. For cervical spinal stenosis with myelopathy, difficulty with coordination often occurs.
Stenosis treatment may include non-surgical options (exercise, anti-inflammatory medication, epidural injections, and activity modification) or back surgery.
If non-surgical treatment fails, there are a full range of surgical options to alleviate symptoms and treat spinal stenosis in the cervical spine (neck).
Many people with lumbar spine stenosis successfully manage their condition through a self-care program including exercises, posture changes, pain management and nutrition.
There are several common procedures to alleviate symptoms of spinal stenosis when it occurs in the lumbar spine (lower back).
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Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Lumbar spinal stenosis may be diagnosed if degenerative changes have narrowed the bony openings of the spine and affected the nervous tissues.
Lumbar spinal stenosis primarily occurs due to aging-related degeneration that affects the spinal joints, ligaments, or intervertebral discs.
The goal of spinal stenosis surgery is to decompress the neural structures and provide more room for the spinal cord, cauda equina, and/or nerve roots.
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Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Symptoms
The classic symptom of lumbar spinal stenosis is leg pain that increases while walking, standing, or bending backward.
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Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Treatment
Lumbar spinal stenosis may be treated with nonsurgical and/or surgical methods. Unless a medical emergency, treatment of spinal stenosis pain is almost always initiated with nonsurgical techniques.
Nonsurgical treatments including physical therapy, medications, and/or injections are typically tried first to relieve the symptoms of central canal stenosis. In severe cases, surgery may be recommended.
