Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Stenosis means refers to the narrowing or tightening of the spinal canal in the lumbar or lower back region. The spinal canal is the bony tube in which the spinal cord and the nerve roots travel. The narrowing of this canal results in pressure on the spinal cord or spinal nerves causing various symptoms like pain, stiffness, and incontinence.

Causes of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Like the rest of the bones of our body, the spine also undergoes degenerative changes due to age. It is normal to wear and tears the effect of aging that can lead to stenosis. In such cases, spinal stenosis usually occurs after the age of 50. But some patients may develop stenosis in the lumbar region early in their life due to any of the following reasons:

• Genetically a person may have a smaller sized tube in the spine (spinal canal)
• Congenital spinal canal abnormalities
• Arthritic changes such as o Bone spurs o Thickened ligaments o Joint laxity o Bulging of disc
• Disc herniation
• Disc fractures
• Trauma
• Tumor

Diagnosis of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

The diagnosis of lumbar stenosis starts with complete history taking along with thorough physical and neurological examination. But this is generally not conclusive and the physician performs the following diagnostic tests to get an appropriate and confirmed diagnosis:

• X-Ray
• MRI scan
• CT scan with myelogram ( in case MRI is not possible)