In adults 50 years and older, lumbar spinal stenosis is a common cause of lower back, buttock, and leg pain. It’s a condition wherein either the spinal canal (central stenosis) or one or more of the vertebral foramina (foraminal stenosis) starts to become narrowed.
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Typically caused by degenerative arthritis, low back pain along with pain, weakness, and numbness or decreased sensation in the legs can be developed in patients. Lumbar spinal stenosis usually occurs when bone or tissue, or both, grow in the openings in the spinal bones. The growth can press and irritate the nerves that extend from the spinal cord.
As people age, there can be changes that can happen such as connective tissues, also referred to as ligaments, get thicker; arthritis which leads to the growth of bony spurs that push on the nerves that extend from the spinal cord; and the discs between the bones being forced backward into the spinal canal. Its symptoms get worse when an individual starts to walk, stand straight, or lean backward. The pain is alleviated when one sits down or bends forward.
While low back pain and stiffness in the legs and thighs are experienced by many who suffer from lumbar spinal stenosis, extreme cases can mean loss of bladder and bowel control. Symptoms may be severe occasionally and not as bad at other times. Most individuals aren’t severely disabled, and many don’t have symptoms at all. Imaging tests such as x-ray, MRI, CT scan will be needed for its diagnosis. Mild to moderate symptoms can be controlled with pain medicines, exercise, and physical therapy. In some cases, a doctor can give a patient a spinal shot of corticosteroid, a medication that reduces inflammation.
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Dr. Victoria J. M0ndloch aspires to empower patients by working together on medical diagnoses and educating them on the best steps to stay healthy. To learn about Dr. Mondloch’s practice, visit this page.
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