Lumbar Stenosis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
To help you discuss symptoms and treatment options for lumbar stenosis with your orthopedic surgeon, here’s a breakdown of this condition.
What is Lumbar Stenosis?
Lumbar stenosis is the compression of spinal nerves caused by the narrowing of the spinal canal, and is one of the leading causes of lower back pain.
Causes of a Lumbar Stenosis
The most common causes of lumbar stenosis are aging, Paget’s disease, achondroplasia, spinal tumors, and spinal injuries.
What are the Symptoms of Lumbar Stenosis?
The symptoms of lumbar stenosis include back pain, sciatica (burning or aching in the buttocks that radiates to the legs), and foot drop (weakness in the legs).
Diagnosis of Lumbar Stenosis
To diagnose and develop a treatment plan for lumbar stenosis, your orthopedic surgeon will perform the following:
- Medical history: Your orthopedic surgeon will gather a detailed history of your symptoms and any treatments received.
- Complete physical examination: Your orthopedic surgeon will perform a thorough examination of your body movements.
- Investigations: Your orthopedic surgeon will order diagnostic imaging techniques, such as X-rays, CT scan, and MRI scans.
What are the Treatment Options for Lumbar Stenosis?
Your orthopedic surgeon will likely recommend conservative treatment measures for lumbar stenosis, such as rest, medication, physical therapy, chiropractic manipulation, and pain-blocking injections.
If non-surgical treatment options don’t help, your orthopedic surgeon may recommend minimally invasive spine surgery. The two main surgical procedures to treat lumbar l stenosis are:
- Laminectomy: This procedure involves the removal of the bone, bone spurs and ligaments that compress the nerves.
- Spinal fusion: In this procedure, two or more vertebrae are permanently fused together.
Lumbar stenosis can interfere with your quality of life. Don’t suffer in silence when there are treatment options available. See how we can help.