Lumbar spinal stenosis occurs when the space around the spinal cord narrows. This puts pressure on the cord and nerves that travel through the lower back into the legs. It can cause pain to radiate downwards as you walk.
It is a progressive condition which occurs slowly, over many years. It is due to various causes such as spinal discs becoming less spongy with age or the growth of bone spurs, among others. As a result, it is more common in older people.
Symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis include:
Arthritis, or degeneration of a joint, is the most common cause of spinal stenosis.
As the water content in our discs dry out with age, this leads to settling, or collapse, of the disc spaces and loss of disc space height. As a result, there is increased pressure on the facet joints and the protective layer of cartilage gets worn away.
Other factors that contribute to lumbar spinal stenosis include:
You face a higher risk of developing lumbar spinal stenosis if you:
Spinal stenosis may result in a condition known as cervical myelopathy.
In the late stages, cervical myelopathy results in degenerative changes in the neck and leads to severe dysfunction of the nerves. This may cause:
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