Lumbar Spinal Canal Stenosis: A Common Cause of Back and Leg Pain

What is lumbar spinal canal stenosis?

Lumbar spinal canal stenosis is a narrowing in the space in the lower spine that carries nerves to your legs. This space is very small. It gets even smaller if the bone and tissue around it grow. It takes many years for this bone and tissue to grow.

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 does my doctor know I have stenosis in my spine?

Your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms. People with stenosis usually have back pain most of the time. They also may have leg pain, numbness or weakness. The leg pain and numbness usually start when you stand up and begin to walk or exercise. The leg pain has been described as a burning or prickly feeling that may start in the buttocks and spread down to the feet when you start walking.

Your legs might also feel cramped, tired or weak. These are symptoms of a condition called neural claudication of the legs. If you have lumbar canal stenosis, the neural leg claudication starts when you stand up, gets worse when you walk and gets better when you stop walking. Often, the leg pain gets better if you crouch or lie in a fetal position (on your sides with your knees tucked up to your chest). It's thought that these positions "open" the lumbar canal and take the pressure off the nerves that go to the legs.