As we age, our spines change. These normal wear-and-tear effects of aging can lead
to narrowing of the spinal canal. This condition is called spinal stenosis.

Degenerative changes of the spine are seen in up to 95% of people by the age of 50.
Spinal stenosis most often occurs in adults over 60 years old. Pressure on the nerve
roots is equally common in men and women.

A small number of people are born with back problems that develop into lumbar spinal
stenosis. This is known as congenital spinal stenosis. It occurs most often in men.
People usually first notice symptoms between the ages of 30 and 50.

Anatomy

Your spine is made up of small bones, called vertebrae, which are stacked on top of
one another. Muscles, ligaments, nerves, and intervertebral disks are additional parts
of your spine.

Understanding your spine and how it works can help you better understand spinal stenosis.
Learn more about spine anatomy: Spine BasicsSpine Basics (topic.cfm?topic=A00575)

Arthritis is the most common cause of spinal stenosis. Arthritis refers to degeneration
of any joint in the body.

When we are young, disks have a high water content (left). As disks age and dry out,
they may lose height or collapse (right). This puts pressure on the facet joints and
may result in arthritis.

In the spine, arthritis can result as the disk degenerates and loses water content.
In children and young adults, disks have high water content. As we get older, our
disks begin to dry out and weaken. This problem causes settling, or collapse, of the
disk spaces and loss of disk space height.

As the spine settles, two things occur. First, weight is transferred to the facet
joints. Second, the tunnels that the nerves exit through become smaller.

As the facet joints experience increased pressure, they also begin to degenerate and
develop arthritis, similar to that occurring in the hip or knee joint. The cartilage
that covers and protects the joints wears away. If the cartilage wears away completely,
it can result in bone rubbing on bone. To make up for the lost cartilage, your body
may respond by growing new bone in your facet joints to help support the vertebrae.
Over time, this bone overgrowth-called spurs-may narrow the space for the nerves to
pass through.

Arthritic bone spurs narrow the spinal canal.

Another response to arthritis in the lower back is that ligaments around the joints
increase in size. This also lessens space for the nerves. Once the space has become
small enough to irritate spinal nerves, painful symptoms result.

Back pain. People with spinal stenosis may or may not have back pain, depending on the degree
of arthritis that has developed.

Spinal nerves relay sensation in specific parts of your body. Pressure on the nerves
can cause pain in the areas that the nerves supply. Pain in the buttocks that radiates
down the leg — called sciatica — is caused by this pressure.

Burning pain in buttocks or legs (sciatica). Pressure on spinal nerves can result in pain in the areas that the nerves supply.
The pain may be described as an ache or a burning feeling. It typically starts in
the area of the buttocks and radiates down the leg. As it progresses, it can result
in pain in the foot.

Numbness or tingling in buttocks or legs. As pressure on the nerve increases, numbness and tingling often accompany the burning
pain. Although not all patients will have both burning pain and numbness and tingling.

Weakness in the legs or "foot drop." Once the pressure reaches a critical level, weakness can occur in one or both legs.
Some patients will have a foot-drop, or the feeling that their foot slaps on the ground
while walking.

Less pain with leaning forward or sitting. Studies of the lumbar spine show that leaning forward can actually increase the space
available for the nerves. Many patients may note relief when leaning forward and especially
with sitting. Pain is usually made worse by standing up straight and walking. Some
patients note that they can ride a stationary bike or walk leaning on a shopping cart.
Walking more than 1 or 2 blocks, however, may bring on severe sciatica or weakness.

Medical History and Physical Examination

After discussing your symptoms and medical history, your doctor will examine your
back. This will include looking at your back and pushing on different areas to see
if it hurts. Your doctor may have you bend forward, backward, and side-to-side to
look for limitations or pain.

Imaging Tests

Other tests which may help your doctor confirm your diagnosis include:

X-rays. Although they only visualize bones, X-rays can help determine if you have spinal
stenosis. X-rays will show aging changes, like loss of disk height or bone spurs.

X-rays taken while you lean forward and backward can show "instability" in your joints.
X-rays can also show too much mobility. This is called spondylolisthesis.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This study can create better images of soft tissues, such as muscles, disks, nerves,
and the spinal cord.

Additional tests. Computed tomography (CT) scans can create cross-section images of your spine. Your
doctor may also order a myelogram. In this procedure, dye is injected into the spine
to make the nerves show up more clearly. It can help your doctor determine whether
the nerves are being compressed.

Nonsurgical Treatment

Nonsurgical treatment options focus on restoring function and relieving pain. Although
nonsurgical methods do not improve the narrowing of the spinal canal, many people
report that these treatments do help relieve symptoms.

Lumbar traction. Although it may be helpful in some patients, traction has very limited results. There
is no scientific evidence of its effectiveness.

Anti-inflammatory medications. Because stenosis pain is caused by pressure on a spinal nerve, reducing inflammation
(swelling) around the nerve may relieve pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) initially provide pain relief. When used over the course of 5-10 days, they
can also have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Most people are familiar with nonprescription NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen.
Whether over-the-counter or prescription strength, these medicines must be used carefully.
They can lead to gastritis or stomach ulcers. If you develop acid reflux or stomach
pains while taking an anti-inflammatory, be sure to talk with your doctor.

Steroid injections. Cortisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory drug. Cortisone injections around the nerves
or in the "epidural space" can decrease swelling, as well as pain. They also reduce
numbness, but not weakness, in the legs. Patients should receive no more than three
injections a year.

Acupuncture. Acupuncture can be helpful in treating some of the pain for less severe cases of
lumbar stenosis. Although it can be very safe, long-term success with this treatment
has not been proven scientifically.

Chiropractic manipulation. Chiropractic manipulation is generally safe and can help with some of the pain from
lumbar stenosis. Care should be taken if a patient has osteoporosis or disk herniation.
Manipulation of the spine in these cases can worsen symptoms or cause other injuries.

Surgical Treatment

Surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis is generally reserved for patients who have poor
quality of life due to pain and weakness. Patients may complain of difficulty walking
for extended periods of time. This is often the reason that patients consider surgery.

There are two main surgical options to treat lumbar spinal stenosis: laminectomy and
spinal fusion. Both options can result in excellent pain relief. Be sure to discuss
the advantages and disadvantages of both with your doctor.

Laminectomy. This procedure involves removing the bone, bone spurs, and ligaments that are compressing
the nerves. This procedure may also be called a "decompression." Laminectomy can be
performed as open surgery, in which your doctor uses a single, larger incision to
access your spine. The procedure can also be done using a minimally invasive method,
where several smaller incisions are made. Your doctor will discuss the right option
for you.

(Left) To access the spine, muscles are pulled back to expose the bone. (Right) After the laminectomy, bone graft material and screws are placed along the sides
of the vertebrae to help with healing.

Spinal fusion. If arthritis has progressed to spinal instability, a combination of decompression
and stabilization or spinal fusion may be recommended.

Rehabilitation. After surgery, you may stay in the hospital for a short time, depending on your health
and the procedure performed. Healthy patients who undergo just decompression may go
home the same or next day, and may return to normal activities after only a few weeks.
Fusion generally adds 2 to 3 days to the hospital stay.

Your surgeon may give you a brace or corset to wear for comfort. He or she will likely
encourage you to begin walking as soon as possible. Most patients only need physical
therapy to strengthen their backs.

Your physical therapist may show you exercises to help you build and maintain strength,
endurance, and flexibility for spinal stability. Some of these exercises will help
strengthen your abdominal muscles, which help support your back. Your physical therapist
will create an individualized program, taking into consideration your health and history.

Most people can go back to a desk job within a few days to a few weeks after surgery.
They may return to normal activities after 2 to 3 months. Older patients who need
more care and assistance may be transferred from the hospital to a rehabilitation
facility prior to going home.

Surgical risks. There are minor risks associated with every surgical procedure. These include bleeding,
infection, blood clots, and reaction to anesthesia. These risks are usually very low.

Elderly patients have higher rates of complications from surgery. So do overweight
patients, diabetics, smokers, and patients with multiple medical problems.

Specific complications from surgery for spinal stenosis include:

Tear of the sac covering the nerves (dural tear)

Failure of the bone fusion to heal

Failure of screws or rods

Nerve injury

Need for further surgery

Failure to relieve symptoms

Return of symptoms

Surgical outcomes. Overall, the results of laminectomy with or without spinal fusion for lumbar stenosis
are good to excellent in the majority of patients. Patients tend to see more improvement
of leg pain than back pain. Most patients are able to resume a normal lifestyle after
a period of recovery from surgery.

Interspinous Process Devices

Interspinous process devices, or spacers, are inserted between the spinous processes
in the back of the spine. These devices spread the vertebrae apart and keep the space
for the nerves open and functioning. This procedure is a minimally invasive surgical
option for lumbar spinal stenosis.

Interspinous process spacers were approved in 2005. Many procedures have been performed
since then. In some studies, success rates are greater than 80 percent.

Numerous spacer devices are currently being evaluated. They may be a safe alternative
to an open laminectomy for some patients. Limited bone (lamina) is removed with this
procedure, and it may be performed under local anesthesia.

The key to success with this procedure is appropriate selection of the patients. The
appropriate candidate must have relief of buttock and leg pain when sitting or bending
forward. The pain returns upon standing.

Minimally Invasive Decompression

Decompression can be performed using smaller incisions. When using such minimally
invasive techniques, there is less injury to the surrounding soft tissues, and recovery
may be quicker.

With these minimally invasive techniques, surgeons rely more on microscopes to see
the area for surgery. They may also take X-rays during the operation. A traditional
open procedure requires more direct visualization of the patient's anatomy, and therefore
requires a larger incision. This can be more painful for the patient.

The limitation of minimally invasive surgery is the degree of visualization available.
If the spinal stenosis extends over a large area of the spine, an open technique is
the only method that can address the problem.

The advantages of minimally invasive procedures include reduced hospital stays and
recovery periods. However, both open and minimally invasive techniques relieve stenosis
symptoms equally. Your doctor will be able to discuss with you the options that best
meet your healthcare needs.

AAOS does not endorse any treatments, procedures, products, or physicians referenced
herein. This information is provided as an educational service and is not intended
to serve as medical advice. Anyone seeking specific orthopaedic advice or assistance
should consult his or her orthopaedic surgeon, or locate one in your area through
the AAOS "Find an Orthopaedist" program on this website.