Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis is when the spinal canal narrows and compresses the spinal nerves in the lower back

It is more likely to develop as people age due to the natural wear and tear on the spine

This can lead to a number of contributing factors that cause the narrowing of the spinal canal and create pressure on the spinal nerves, such as

thickening of ligamentum flavum

overgrowth of bone in the facet joints ,

and bulging of discs.

It can also be caused by other conditions that decrease the space of the spinal canal such as tumors of the local structures or metastatic tumors (tumors that originated in another part of the body and spread to this location), infection, injury to the spine including compression fractures , spinal tumor, certain bone diseases, past surgery of the spine( lumbar fusion ) and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

MRI, or CT scans are used to diagnose spinal stenosis

The worrisome symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis include loss of bladder or bowel control, severe or increasing numbness between your legs, inner thighs, and back of the legs, and increasing weakness in your legs that makes it hard to walk or get up from a chair or bed.

It's important to consult your doctor if you believe you have spinal stenosis