In this Article

• What is lumbar spinal stenosis?
• What causes lumbar spinal stenosis?
• What are the symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis?
• How is lumbar spinal stenosis diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis?
• What can be done to prevent lumbar spinal stenosis?
• Lumbar Spinal Stenosis At A Glance
• Patient Discussions: Lumbar Spinal Stenosis - Describe Your Experience
• Lumbar Stenosis Glossary
• Lumbar Stenosis Index

What can be done to prevent lumbar spinal stenosis?

Unfortunately, the degenerative changes responsible for lumbar spinal stenosis can occur as part of the normal ageing process. There is little that can be done to prevent lumbar spinal stenosis.

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis At A Glance

• Lumbar spinal stenosis is typically caused be degenerative arthritis.
  
  
• Patients can develop low back pain as well as pain, weakness, numbness or decreased sensation in the legs.
  
  
• Surgery is recommended for failure of other treatments and for patients with increasing weakness of the legs or loss of bowel or bladder function.
  
  
• Surgery includes a lumbar decompression with or without a lumbar fusion.
  
  
• Surgery is most reliable for the relief of leg symptoms and less reliable for the relief of back pain.

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis - Describe Your Experience

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Please describe your experience with lumbar spinal stenosis.

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