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Spinal Stenosis Facts
- One of the most common causes of back pain and neck pain
is disc degeneration.
- Over time, the discs in the spine may harden and
thicken, pushing into the spinal canal. The narrowing of the lumbar spinal
canal is known as spinal stenosis.
- Symptoms of spinal stenosis include pain or numbness in
the back and/or legs, as well as cramping and weakness in the legs. Symptoms
may worsen with prolonged standing or walking.
- Non-surgical treatments of lumbar spinal stenosis may
include anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, and spinal
injections, or "blocks," used to relieve symptoms of pain. These treatments do
not correct the spinal canal narrowing but can provide pain control and
improved life function.
- Surgery may be advised for patients whose pain cannot be
relieved by non-surgical treatment methods. The goal of the surgery - which is
termed "lumbar decompression surgery," or "laminectomy" - is to open up the
bony spinal canal to improve available space for the nerves.
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