What is Lumbar (Low Back) Spinal Stenosis?

According to the National Institutes of Health, back pain will affect eight out of every 10 of us at some point during our lifetimes. Lumbar (lower back) spinal stenosis—a narrowing of the spinal canal—is a common cause of this problem, and can occur as a part of the aging process. 

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Symptoms

Nearly all of us will experience some type of spinal condition, as we get older.  The level of deterioration and associated symptoms of spinal stenosis varies greatly from one person to the next. For example, some won’t notice any discomfort or back pain at all.  Others may complain of mild to moderate pain in the legs and/or buttocks, and some people afflicted with the condition won’t be able to stand or walk. Those whom suffer from severe spinal stenosis often notice leg, buttock and/or foot pain or weakness. Clumsiness may also be experienced while standing or walking. Numbness, tingling and loss of bowel or bladder control may also be telltale signs of more advanced spinal stenosis.

Spinal Stenosis Causes

There are many culprits that may lead to spinal stenosis including, but not limited to:

Watch this lumbar spinal stenosis causes, symptoms and treatment video:

• Arthritis
  As people age, changes occur in the soft tissues and bony structures of the lower back. The intervertebral discs, once hydrated to help absorb shock and support the vertebrae, can become dry and weak. These changes place undue stress on the joints of the spine, which can in turn lead to a degenerative condition known as osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease that occurs when the protective cartilage of a joint wears down and leaves the bony surfaces to rub painfully against one another. To help resolve this problem and support the weakening spine, new bony outgrowths may develop. These bone spurs can eventually grow into the spinal canal and cause the narrowing seen in spinal stenosis.

• Disc Herniation
  In addition to playing a role in the development of arthritis, the intervertebral discs may also be involved in spinal stenosis through herniation. Disc herniation occurs when a crack or other vulnerable spot in the disc allows the jelly-like interior to escape. This substance can place pressure on the spinal cord or the spinal nerves.  Disc herniation may occur from an injury or blunt trauma to the spine.

• Congenital Causes
  Then, there are those of us whom are just lucky. Some people are just born with a smaller spinal canal, have bone diseases, thickened spinal ligaments or excess bone growth around the nerves of the spine which cause stenosis.

Treatments

There are a variety of nonsurgical treatments available to help relieve the symptoms associated with lumbar spinal stenosis. To learn more about your treatment options, consider scheduling a consultation with the experts at SpineOne. Our medical team wants to help you improve your quality of life through advanced-nonsurgical options. 

Call our Denver-area practice at (303) 500-8611 or click www.spineone.com to schedule your appointment today!

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