Spinal Stenosis: What you should know
Spinal stenosis is a very common spinal condition that leads to low back and neck pain. It is a degenerative narrowing of the spinal canal, specifically the area through which the spinal cord travels. This narrowing exerts a pressure on the spinal cord and impedes its ability to transmit nerve signals to either the arms or legs. This pressure can cause pain and even weakness in the upper or lower extremities. The good news is that more than 70% of patients with spinal stenosis have mild-to-moderate disease that is very responsive to many simple interventional pain procedures.

Symptoms of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
The most common symptom of lumbar spinal stenosis is low back pain and leg weakness that limits one’s ability to walk for long periods of time. Often patients will report that they cannot walk for more than a few blocks without needing to rest. This finding is often the result of neurogenic claudication, a condition caused by spinal stenosis. Patients will also report that leaning forward on a shopping cart relieves many of their symptoms. This finding is so common that physicians have coined it the “shopping cart sign” and will often ask patients if leaning forward improves their functional status.

Diagnosing Spinal Stenosis
Your physician will conduct a full history and physical exam which will likely include imaging of your spine. This can be either an MRI or CT scan.

Treating Spinal Stenosis:
Patients with spinal stenosis have many treatment options available to them ranging from conservative over the counter pain medications like ibuprofen and Tylenol all the way to spine surgery for more severe cases. The good news is that most patients with spinal stenosis have mild-to-moderate disease and respond well to simple interventional pain procedures such as epidural steroid injections and the Vertiflex interspinous spacing device.