Does spinal stenosis affect both legs?

Red-flag signs and symptoms of spinal stenosis

Rarely, severe spinal stenosis may cause red-flag symptoms, such as bowel and/or bladder incontinence, numbness in the inner thighs and genital area, and/or severe weakness in both legs.

Can spinal stenosis cause pain in both legs?

If you have lumbar spinal stenosis, you may have trouble walking distances or find that you need to lean forward to relieve pressure on your lower back. You may also have pain or numbness in your legs. In more severe cases, you may have difficulty controlling your bowel and bladder.

Can lumbar spinal stenosis affect both legs?

Neurogenic claudication: Spinal cord compression that causes a symmetrical pattern of pain affecting both legs while walking or standing for a long period of time. Neurologic deficits, such as loss of coordination, gait imbalance, numbness, and weakness affecting both legs may also occur.

Does spinal stenosis affect both sides?

In addition to low back pain, common symptoms generally include a sense of fatigue, discomfort, or changes in sensation (for example, numbness or tingling) felt in the buttocks, thighs, and legs on both sides of the body.

Can spinal stenosis cause heaviness in the legs?

A heavy feeling in the legs, which may lead to cramping in one or both legs. Numbness or tingling (“pins and needles”) in the buttocks, leg or foot. Weakness in the leg or foot (as the stenosis worsens). Pain that worsens when standing for long periods of time, walking or walking downhill.

Living With Leg and Back Pain From Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

What does leg pain from spinal stenosis feel like?

With lumbar stenosis, it's common to feel numbness or tingling in one leg or foot, weakness in your leg, and pain or cramping after standing for long periods of time. Lumbar stenosis can make it difficult to walk and often feels better when you lean forward and relieve the pressure on your lower vertebrae.

Is walking good for spinal stenosis?

Walking is a good exercise for spinal stenosis. It's low impact, and you control the pace and distance.

How can you tell if your spinal stenosis is getting worse?

Call your provider if you have symptoms of spinal stenosis. More serious symptoms that need prompt attention include: Difficulty or poor balance when walking. Worsening numbness and weakness of your limb.

Does spinal stenosis hurt all the time?

Some people with spinal stenosis may not have symptoms. Others may experience pain, tingling, numbness and muscle weakness. Symptoms can worsen over time.

Can spinal stenosis cause pain in front of thigh?

Stenosis around this nerve may cause Weakness in the psoas muscle and pain in the groin and front of the thigh; the former can cause difficulty with lifting the leg, for example, while walking up stairs.

Can l4 l5 cause pain in both legs?

It is also possible for a stabbing pain or ache to be isolated to any of these (dermatomal) areas. While lumbar radiculopathy typically affects one leg at a time, sometimes, both legs may be affected together. An injury to the cauda equina may cause severe pain, weakness, numbness, tingling, or paralysis in both legs.

What does a positive straight leg raise test mean?

If you have pain down the back of your leg below the knee when your affected leg is raised, the test is positive (abnormal). It means that one or more of the nerve roots leading to your sciatic nerve may be compressed or irritated.

What is considered severe spinal stenosis?

Symptoms of Severe Spinal Stenosis

When spinal stenosis progresses to the severe stage, that means there has been substantial narrowing of the spinal canal. This can occur due to several different factors, but is most commonly caused by degeneration of the discs, vertebrae and spinal ligaments.

How do you get rid of leg pain from spinal stenosis?

Initially, simple things like an anti-inflammatory medication, such as Advil or Aleve, sometimes Tylenol, minor pain medications, change in positioning will help. Usually a patient with spinal stenosis has more pain when standing upright or walking with relief when bending forward.

Can spinal stenosis cause hip and leg pain?

And patients with spinal stenosis will often get pain down the leg, sometimes below the knee. There are often neurologic symptoms like numbness and tingling and some weakness feeling but, believe it or not, hip patients can have these symptoms as well.

Does spinal stenosis get worse with walking?

Spinal stenosis is caused by a narrowing of your spinal canal. This narrowing can irritate the nerves that travel down your legs. Symptoms are typically worse when you walk.

What activities should be avoided with spinal stenosis?

What is the best sleeping position for spinal stenosis?

Many people with spinal stenosis find the most comfort sleeping on their side in “fetal position” — that is, with knees curled up toward the abdomen. Another alternative is to sleep in an adjustable bed or recliner that allows the head and knees to remain elevated.

Can spinal stenosis cause neuropathy in feet and legs?

The condition can be congenital, meaning some people are born with spinal stenosis, or it can develop with age. Many people with the spine condition develop neuropathy secondary to spinal stenosis, which causes numbness and weakness in arms and legs. The condition can be debilitating at times.

Will I end up in a wheelchair with spinal stenosis?

Disability: In severe cases of spinal stenosis, a patient can end up permanently disabled. This may be through paralysis, or weakness so severe that it is impossible to stand and move as normal. It is not unreasonable to expect severe stenosis to lead to a person being bound to a wheelchair.

Is Climbing stairs good for spinal stenosis?

In essence, walking uphill and doing stairs decreases the space in your already-narrowed spinal channels. With spinal stenosis, you may also have pain when you're walking normally—but generally, that's when you're walking a longer distance (as in longer than from your car to the house).

What is the newest treatment for spinal stenosis?

Interspinous spacers are a new approach to treating spinal stenosis that work gently and in a targeted way by opening the spinal canal to create room and reduce pressure on crowded nerves. A spinous process is the part of your vertebra that projects backward from your vertebral arch.

Can stenosis cause weak legs?

Arthritis, falls, accidents and wear and tear on the bones and joints in the spine also play a part in stenosis. As the lumbar spinal canal shrinks, the nerves that go through it are squeezed. This squeezing may cause back pain, leg pain and leg weakness. Many adults have this kind of stenosis.

How can I strengthen my legs with spinal stenosis?

What is the most common treatment for spinal stenosis?

Surgery to decompress the area of stenosis is the most definitive way to try to resolve symptoms of spinal stenosis. Research shows that spine surgeries result in fewer complications when done by highly experienced surgeons. Don't hesitate to ask about your surgeon's experience with spinal stenosis surgery.