What is a Lumbar canal Stenosis

Your spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that runs through a tunnel formed by your vertebrae. The tunnel is called the spinal canal. Lumbar spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower part of your back. Stenosis, which means narrowing, can cause pressure on your spinal cord or the nerves that go from your spinal cord to your muscles.

Some people with spinal stenosis have no symptoms. Others may experience pain, tingling, numbness and muscle weakness. Symptoms can get worse over time.

  • Pain in the back
  • Burning pain going into the buttocks and down into the legs (sciatica)
  • Numbness, tingling, cramping, or weakness in the legs
  • Loss of sensation in the feet

What causes lumbar spinal stenosis?

  • Narrow spinal canal
  • Injury to the spine
  • Spinal tumor
  • Certain bone diseases
  • Past surgery of the spine
  • Rheumatoid arthritis