Is lumbar spinal stenosis serious?

Lumbar spinal stenosis can cause mild to serious symptoms, affecting daily life. While nonsurgical treatments are tried first, the patient may decide to have surgery if the symptoms are severe and cause significant dysfunction.

Is spinal stenosis a serious condition?

Spinal stenosis is caused by gradual narrowing of the spinal canal, resulting in painful pressure and compression on the spinal cord and nerves. While spinal stenosis is not a serious condition in the initial stages, it can lead to serious and permanent damage if it becomes advanced or remains untreated.

What happens if you let spinal stenosis go untreated?

Rarely, untreated severe spinal stenosis may progress and cause permanent: Numbness. Weakness. Balance problems.

When should I worry about spinal stenosis?

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.

What is the best treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis?

One of the most effective treatments for treating lumbar spinal stenosis is a procedure called laminectomy. This treatment removes part of the vertebra that's putting pressure on your nerve.

Is Spinal Stenosis serious? | The Clinic: Episode 1

What is the life expectancy of someone with spinal stenosis?

Hennenhoefer says you can live a normal life with a spinal stenosis diagnosis and can work on improving your mobility and comfort. "Unfortunately, nothing can stop the progression of spinal stenosis, since it is due to daily wear and tear," said Dr.

What activities should be avoided with spinal stenosis?

Will spinal stenosis cripple you?

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.

What is severe lumbar stenosis?

Lumbar spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal, compressing the nerves traveling through the lower back into the legs. While it may affect younger patients, due to developmental causes, it is more often a degenerative condition that affects people who are typically age 60 and older.

Is lumbar stenosis a disability?

Fortunately, lumbar spinal stenosis is one of the few back conditions recognized by the Social Security Administration (SSA) with an official impairment listing, meaning that those with documented cases of severe lumbar spinal stenosis are automatically granted disability benefits—if you can meet the SSA's tough ...

What are the final stages of spinal stenosis?

Spinal stenosis, often an end stage of the spine degenerative process, is characterized by leg pain with walking. Pain will go away with rest but you may have to specifically sit down to ease the leg pain.

Can lumbar stenosis cause paralysis?

Can spinal stenosis cause permanent paralysis? While the narrowing of the spine can cause pain, it usually doesn't cause paralysis. However, if a spinal nerve or the spinal cord is compressed for a long period of time, permanent numbness and/or paralysis is possible.

Is spinal stenosis a serious surgery?

All surgery has some risks, such as bleeding, infection, and risks from anesthesia. Risks from surgery for spinal stenosis include damage to the nerves, tissue tears, chronic pain, and trouble passing urine. You may not be able to go back to all of your normal activities for at least several months.

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.

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 do you fix spinal stenosis without surgery?

Is spinal stenosis a terminal?

There's no cure, but there are a variety of nonsurgical treatments and exercises to keep the pain at bay. Most people with spinal stenosis live normal lives.

What is the most common cause of lumbar stenosis?

The most common cause of spinal stenosis is osteoarthritis, the gradual wear and tear that happens to your joints over time. Spinal stenosis is common because osteoarthritis begins to cause changes in most people's spines by age 50. That's why most people who develop symptoms of spinal stenosis are 50 or older.

When does spinal stenosis need surgery?

Spinal stenosis surgery helps to reopen your spinal canal, the channel in your backbone that houses your spinal cord and other nerves. A doctor does the surgery when the space in the canal narrows because of arthritis, bone spurs, or other problems. When that happens, the nerves can be pinched or squeezed.

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.

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).

How do you sit with spinal stenosis?

When sitting, avoid leaning forward, make sure there is proper lumbar support for the inward curve of the low back, and keep both feet flat on the ground.

How fast does spinal stenosis progress?

Spinal stenosis is generally not progressive. The pain tends to come and go, but it usually does not progress with time. The natural history with spinal stenosis, in the majority of patients, is that of episodic periods of pain and dysfunction.

How do you prevent spinal stenosis from getting worse?

Having good posture and practicing proper body mechanics are some of the best ways to prevent stenosis from progressing and to ensure the health of your back. Good posture and body mechanics should be practiced all the time—whether you're sitting, standing, lifting a heavy object, or even sleeping.

What can make spinal stenosis worse?

Diet and exercise

Diet and exercise can be considered for patients that have spinal stenosis who are also overweight. Because additional fat in the body presses down on the spine and makes it support more weight, it aggravates spinal stenosis and may even lead to the condition developing.