About lumbar spinal stenosis

What is lumbar spinal stenosis?

Lumbar spinal stenosis facts

  • Lumbar spinal stenosis is a condition whereby either the spinal canal (central stenosis) or one or more of the vertebral foramina (foraminal stenosis) becomes narrowed.
  • Lumbar spinal stenosis is typically caused by degenerative arthritis.
  • Patients can develop low back pain as well as pain, weakness, and numbness or decreased sensation in the legs.
  • Surgery is recommended when other nonsurgical treatments have failed and for patients with increasing weakness of the legs or loss of bowel or bladder function.
  • Surgery includes a lumbar decompression with or without a lumbar fusion.
  • Surgery is most reliable for the relief of leg symptoms and less reliable for the relief of back pain.

What is the lumbar spine, and what is lumbar spinal stenosis?

The lumbar spine is made up of five vertebral bodies in the lower back. Nerves coming off the spinal cord travel though the spinal canal and exit the canal through small openings on the sides of the vertebrae called foramina (singular = foramen). These nerves transmit sensations from the buttocks and lower extremities through the spinal cord to the brain and transmit motor signals from the brain to the lower extremities to produce movement of the legs, toes, and joints of the lower extremities.

Lumbar spinal stenosis is a condition whereby either the spinal canal (central stenosis) or one or more of the vertebral foramina (foraminal stenosis) becomes narrowed. If the narrowing is substantial, it causes compression of the spinal cord or spinal nerves, which causes the painful symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis, including low back pain, buttock pain, and leg pain and numbness that is made worse with walking and relieved by resting.

What are the symptoms for lumbar spinal stenosis?

Lumbar spinal stenosis can cause

In most situations, the symptoms improve when the patient is sitting or leaning forward. Typically, painful sensations shoot down the legs with continued walking and diminish with resting. These leg sensations sometimes mimic sciatica. This particular activity-related symptom is sometimes referred to as pseudo claudication (or neurogenic claudication) because it mimics the true claudication of poor circulation from the narrowed blood vessels of peripheral vascular disease. Standing and bending backward can make the symptoms worse. This is because bending forward increases the space in the spinal canal and vertebral foramina while bending backward decreases this space. It is, therefore, more comfortable for patients to sit or lean forward. Patients are frequently unable to walk for long distances and often state that their symptoms are improved when bending forward while walking with the support of a walker or shopping cart.

The symptoms commonly worsen with time. This is because degenerative arthritis is a progressive disease that gradually becomes more severe with time. If left untreated, the compression on the nerves from lumbar spinal stenosis can lead to increasing weakness and loss of function of the legs. It can also lead to loss of bowel and bladder control and loss of sexual function.

A doctor can help determine if one's symptoms are from lumbar spinal stenosis or a different condition. Many other disorders can cause similar symptoms that mimic lumbar spinal stenosis including

  • diabetic neuropathy,
  • peripheral vascular disease,
  • vascular claudication.

What are the causes for lumbar spinal stenosis?

The most common cause of lumbar spinal stenosis is degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease. As with other joints in the body, arthritis commonly occurs in the spine as part of the normal aging process and as a result of osteoarthritis. This can lead to loss of the cartilage between the bones at the joints, formation of bone spurs (osteophytes), loss of the normal height of the discs between the vertebrae of the spine (degenerative disc disease, also known as spondylosis), and overgrowth (hypertrophy) of the ligamentous structures. Further degeneration of the lumbar discs can lead to slippage of one vertebra on another, a process referred to as spondylolisthesis. Each of these processes can reduce the normal space available for the nerves in the spinal canal and result in direct pressure on nerve tissues to cause the symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis.

Lumbar spinal stenosis can also be caused by other conditions that decrease the space of the spinal canal or vertebral foramen. These can include

  • tumor of the local structures or metastatic tumors (tumors that originated in another part of the body and spread to this location),
  • infection,
  • various metabolic bone disorders that cause bone growth, such as Paget's disease of bone.

These causes, however, are much less common than degenerative arthritis.

What are the treatments for lumbar spinal stenosis?

The medical evaluation begins with a complete medical history and physical examination to get clues to the diagnosis of lumbar spinal stenosis. During the medical history, the patient will be asked questions regarding symptoms, including how long they have been present, what makes them better or worse, what prior treatment the patient has had, and what other medical conditions they have. These questions can also help the doctor distinguish lumbar spinal stenosis from other disorders that may produce similar symptoms.

The physical examination often consists of testing the range of motion in the back and feeling for areas of tenderness in the back. The legs may be examined for range of motion, strength, sensation, reflexes, and pulses. The hips and knees may also be examined because problems with these joints can often causes symptoms similar to those of lumbar spinal stenosis.

After the examination, the physician may order imaging studies to detect anatomic signs of lumbar spinal stenosis. This often begins with plain X-rays of the spine. The doctors may also order an X-ray of the patient's pelvis and hips, depending on findings from the physical examination. The X-rays can show the doctor various signs associated with spinal stenosis, including loss of the normal intervertebral disc height, the presence of bone spurs (osteophytes), and spinal instability (abnormal motion between the vertebrae). The ultimate diagnosis of lumbar spinal stenosis is made by an MRI scan (magnetic resonance imagining scan) or CT scan (CAT scan or computerized axial tomography). These are more advanced tests that are used to visualize the nerves in the lower back and detect if they are being compressed from lumbar spinal stenosis.

In some cases, special nerve tests, including electromyogram (EMG) or nerve conduction studies, may be ordered. These tests can identify damage to or irritation of the nerves caused by long-term compression from lumbar spinal stenosis. These tests can also help determine exactly which nerves are involved.

What are the risk factors for lumbar spinal stenosis?

The major risk factor for lumbar spinal stenosis is aging because it is associated with degeneration of the spine.

  • Another less common risk factor is osteoporosis as it can lead to a compression fracture of the lumbar vertebrae that results in lumbar spinal stenosis.

Is there a cure/medications for lumbar spinal stenosis?

The majority of people with lumbar spinal stenosis are 50 and older. Spinal stenosis is a condition where a narrowing of the canal in your spinal column takes place. Nothing can cure it, but you can take steps to lead an active life on your own and with your doctor's advice.

  • Cure or medication available for the Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
  • Over-the-counter Painkillers: For spinal stenosis, over-the-counter (OTC) medications are typically the first line of treatment. These drugs could reduce inflammation and/or pain.
  • Drugs (Prescription) for Spinal Stenosis: Ask your doctor if a prescription pill can offer better pain management if your spinal stenosis symptoms are not improving with over-the-counter medication.
  • Prescription-strength NSAIDs are a typical prescription drug used to treat the pain associated with spinal stenosis. An example of a prescription NSAID is celecoxib (Celebrex). These medications, like other NSAIDs, are often safe when taken for a brief period of time and in small doses.
  • Neuropathic Medication: Your doctor may recommend a neuropathic medication, such as gabapentin, if you have lumbar spinal stenosis and experience nerve discomfort in your legs that makes it difficult for you to walk (Neurontin). Numbness, tingling, and burning down your legs are signs of lumbar radiculopathy, which can be brought on by spinal stenosis in the low back. A neuropathic substance could ease pain and aid in functional recovery.


Symptoms
Tingling or numbness in the foot or leg,Weakness in the leg or foot,When you walk or stand for a prolonged amount of time, you may experience leg pain or cramping, which typically goes away when you bend forward or sit,Backache
Conditions
Numbness,Weakness,Balance problems,Incontinence,Paralysis
Drugs
Neuropathic medication,Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug

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