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Lumbar stenosis is a condition that occurs when the spinal canal becomes narrowed. The lumbar area is within the lower back and as a result of this narrowing, significant pressure is placed on the spinal cord and nerves become compressed. The following outlines the symptoms of lumbar stenosis, its causes and treatment methods.
SymptomsThe symptoms of lumbar stenosis occur due to nerve compression. Lower Back pain that spreads to the legs is the main symptom of lumbar stenosis. Leg pain intensifies with walking and often dissipates when the individual is sitting down or leaning forward. Pain in the legs is often accompanied by tingling, weakness and numbness.
CausesLumbar stenosis is caused by changes in the spine that occur as a result of aging and osteoarthritis. This causes changes in the size and shape of the spinal canal and can lead to the development of bone spurs, loss of cartilage and the thickening of ligaments.
Degenerative disc disease is another condition that can cause lumbar stenosis. This condition occurs as a result of aging and causes changes in spinal discs, making them less flexible as a result of loss fluid. Lumbar stenosis can also be caused by spondylolisthesis, a condition that causes one vertebra to slip onto other vertebra. Herniated discs and injury also play a role in the development of lumbar stenosis.
TreatmentIn most cases of lumbar stenosis, a conservative approach to treatment is effective and surgery is not necessary. Physical therapy is often helpful and typically involves a regimen of increasing flexibility and strengthening exercises, with the focus on building strength within the back and core muscles. Cortisone injections can reduce swelling and minimize pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can alleviate pain and also have anti-inflammatory properties, which can relieve swelling and inflammation that occurs around nerves.
If steroid injections, physical therapy and medications are not effective at treating pain and swelling, surgery is often the next potential treatment. A laminectomy is a surgical procedure that removes anything that causes compression of the nerves, including ligaments, bone and bone spurs. During a spinal fusion, a surgeon fuses multiple vertebrae together.
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What are some symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis?
Symptoms of lumbar spinal Stenosis include numbness, weakness, cramping, or pain in the legs, feet, or buttock; stiffness in legs and thighs; low back pain. In severe cases, loss of bladder and bowel control. Answer Pain, numbness, weakness or tingling in the arms/hands and the legs may indicate cervical spinal stenosis. Patients with lumbar spinal stenosis experience the same symptoms but limited to the lower back, legs, and feet.
Is lumbar stenosis a cancer How can it be cured?
Lumbar stenosis is arthritis of the spinal cord which can cause severe back pain. It causes the spinal cord cavity to narrow and to put pressure on the nerves.
Is lumbar spinal stenosis a form of spinal cancer?
Lumbar spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the back bone. This is a form of arthritis due to getting older. The bone in your back will curve which causes pain.
Is lumbar spinal stenosis less severe than cervical spinal stenosis?
The difference between lumbar spinal stenosis and cervical spinal stenosis is mainly the location of the problem. however, between the two lumbar spinal stenosis is the more severe form of stenosis.
Where can I find more information on lumbar spinal stenosis ?
The first and easiest place to obtain information on lumbar spinal stenosis is your doctor. They will be able to diagnose you, discuss with you treatment options and prognosis, and be a source of support and comfort. You can also find information online.
What is lumbar stenosis?
It is horrible. Your back never stops hurting and it causes your knees and ankles to hurt also. Answer Pain, numbness, weakness or tingling in the arms/hands and the legs may indicate cervical spinal stenosis. Patients with lumbar spinal stenosis experience the same symptoms but limited to the lower back, legs, and feet.
Would there be any websites that could happen to help me find lumbar spinal stenosis?
By "find it" if you mean finding causes, symptoms and treatments on it, you should visit webMD.com for general information. If you want to see if you have any of the symptoms, check this website: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00329.
What is narrowing of the lumbar spinal canal mean?
stenosis
Will someone with lumbar stenosis have a positive babinski sign?
Not typical of lumbar spinal stenosis because the claudication is not affecting the descending long tracts of the spinal cord which terminates at L1.
Is lumbar stenosis a painful hereditary condition?
The best way to find out about lumbar stenosis to see if it's a painful condition would be to go to the library and look the information up in a medical book or ask your doctor.
Symptons of Spinal Stenosis?
Spinal stenosis is a degenerative disease of the spine that narrows the spinal column and places pressure on the spinal chord causing pain. It is part of the aging process but can also be brought on by injury, birth defects, or infection in the spinal column. It can be very painful, but is not considered a life threatening disease. Stenosis develops slowly over time and the symptoms increase with time. Often the disease is associated with arthritis of the back. There are two basic types of spinal stenosis: lumbar and cervical. Lumbar is present in the lower back and cervical is in the neck area. Seventy-five percent of spinal stenosis is in the lumbar region of the body. Symptoms of spinal stenosis include pain and tingling that radiates down the lower leg from the buttock area. The pain is caused from standing or walking too far and immediately goes away when sitting. It can also be relieved by hunching forward or other similar motions which cause the spine to open. The lumbar spinal stenosis is sometimes confused with blockage in the lower legs because that will generate similar pain which is relieved also by sitting and resting. Other symptoms include a hot and cold feeling in the legs, falling and general clumsiness. Cervical spinal stenosis is a more serious form of the disease as it can cause paralysis. The symptoms for cervical spinal stenosis are a general feeling of weakness and numbness, neck and shoulder pain, and sometimes loss of bowel or bladder control. In some patients evidence of spinal stenosis has been found and they have had no symptoms of the disease at all. Diagnosis of the disease is made by observing the patients posture and walking abilities and by using x-rays, MRI's, or CAT scans. Sometimes a myelogram is used where dye is injected into the spinal column and observed with an x-ray. Once the diagnosis is made, treatment plans can be determined. Treatment includes bed rest, diet to lower weight, medication to relieve pain, or surgery to widen the spinal chord column.
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Causes, Symptoms and Treatments?
Many individuals experience back pain. When the area around the spinal cord lessens, the pressure placed on the nerves and spinal cord causes numbness, leg weakness and pain. When it affects the lower back, it is called lumbar spinal stenosis.By the time most individuals are 50 years old, degenerative problems can be seen in the spine with spinal stenosis occurring quite often after the age of 60. Although the problem affects both men and women, women tend to have symptoms that need treatment. A small number of individuals, mostly men, are born with back problems that eventually result in spinal stenosis. Symptoms for congenital problems often occur between the ages of 30 and 50.What Causes Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?Arthritis is when any joint in the body degenerates. Arthritis is the number one cause of spinal stensosis. As disks in the back degenerate, they lose water. This causes them to weaken. Weak disks can settle or completely collapse. This problem creates less space for the nerves. In response to the arthritis, the ligaments in the lower back can also increase in size. In addition, bone spurs can also narrow the opening. When the space for the nerves grows too small, the result is lumbar spinal stenosis.What are the Symptoms?People with spinal stenosis do not always have pain. It depends on the degree of arthritis they have. While pain is always an indicator that the individual should see a physician, there are also other signs and symptoms that indicate the possibility of lower back problems:pain relief when sitting down or leaning forwardburning in the legs or buttockstingling sensation or numbness in the legs or buttocksleg weaknessLumbar Spinal Stenosis TreatmentsNonsurgical methods of treating spinal stenosis include reducing or relieving the pain and restoring back function. This may include physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications or steroid injections such as cortisone. Many individuals have also found relief with chiropractic care. Although surgery is sometimes an option, it is always reserved for those who cannot regain a descent quality of life with nonsurgical methods.
