The symptoms are often so gradual, that patients seek medical attention very late in the course of this condition. Patients may be so disabled and weak that they require the use of a wheelchair for mobility. In rare instances, severe spinal stenosis can cause paraplegia and/or bowel/bladder incontinence.
If you have lumbar spinal stenosis, you may have trouble walking distances or find that you need to lean forward to relieve pressure on your lower back. You may also have pain or numbness in your legs. In more severe cases, you may have difficulty controlling your bowel and bladder.
To qualify per the Blue Book listing, you must show that you have a diagnosis of spinal stenosis and that the condition cause chronic pain and weakness that does not radiate from a nerve and that seriously interferes with your ability to walk and requires the use of a walking device requiring the use of both arms, or ...
In the final stages, you will lose control of the bladder and/or bowel, be unable to walk or stand and experience extreme pain or numbness in the lower parts of the body. Your doctor will grade the severity of your spinal stenosis.
Typically, spinal stenosis progresses at a slow pace if it's not treated properly. As the condition advances, the open space in the spinal canal continues to decrease. Eventually, spinal stenosis can lead to nerve impingement as the spinal canal presses on nearby nerves.
Numbness in your genital region and/or loss of bladder or bowel control is another indication that you suffer from severe spinal stenosis. It's a rare but very serious complication that requires immediate attention. “For severe stenosis, surgery is generally recommended,” Dr.
Spinal stenosis can't be cured but responds to treatment.
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.
According to the British Medical Journal, after symptoms appear, patients with severe aortic stenosis have a survival rate as low as 50% at 2 years – and 20% at 5 years – without aortic valve replacement. So timely treatment is critical if you exhibit symptoms.
Spinal stenosis in the lower back can cause pain or cramping in one or both legs. This happens when you stand for a long time or when you walk. Symptoms get better when you bend forward or sit.
High-impact activities: Activities that involve high-impact, such as jumping, running, or contact sports, should be avoided as they can cause further injury to the spine. Heavy lifting: Heavy lifting can put a lot of stress on your spine and exacerbate your symptoms.
Outlook (Prognosis)
Many people with spinal stenosis are able to be active with the condition, although they may need to make some changes in their activities or work. Spine surgery will often partly or fully relieve symptoms in your legs or arms.
As there is no cure for spinal stenosis, early detection, and treatment of the root cause can provide significant pain relief and improve symptoms.
How Lumbar Stenosis Can Impact Your Ability to Work. Because of the severe pain and impacted mobility, you can't perform work duties that involve walking, lifting, or carrying. The severe pain and how movement impacts it can also make you shift frequently so you can't stay in one position long.
While anti-inflammatory medications may ease symptoms, in the long run, you may be better off changing your posture and the way you move. Surgery is a good option for some people with lumbar spinal stenosis. But, for some people, physical therapy can often achieve good results with fewer risks.
With cervical spinal stenosis, it's common to feel numbness or tingling on one side of your body in your hand, arm, or leg. If left untreated, the tingling can turn into weakness in the arm or leg, and make it hard for you to balance.
Your legs might also feel cramped, tired or weak. These leg symptoms are 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.
There's no formal age limit for spinal stenosis surgery. However, the younger a patient undergoes spinal surgery, the more likely they will require reoperation. Additionally, many elderly patients are at a high risk of complications from surgery.
In spinal stenosis, people typically experience less pain with leaning forward, and especially with sitting. Studies of the lumbar spine show that leaning forward can increase the space available for the nerves. Pain is usually made worse by standing up straight and walking.
Flare ups may be caused by muscle spasms, which can be caused by bending or twisting suddenly.
In most cases, spinal stenosis pain comes and goes. Pain from spinal stenosis may flare up whenever the spinal nerves are compressed or irritated, such as when you stand or walk for long periods. Generally, spinal stenosis isn't progressive, meaning that it doesn't gradually worsen over time.
Spinal stenosis can occur at any location on the spine. It is typically caused by osteoarthritis due to the aging process. If left untreated, spinal stenosis can lead to full paralysis and loss of bladder control.
While this causes leg pain similar to stenosis, approximately 50% will resolve on their own. The prognosis for stenosis is different. Stenosis is more likely to get progressively worse over time because it is more closely linked with the continuous degeneration of the aging spine.
Usually, our spine specialists consider surgery only if symptoms such as weakness, numbness, or pain in the arms or legs indicate severe or progressive nerve or spinal cord compression.
For most cases of spinal stenosis, the most effective way of management would be physical therapy. While there may be no standard regimen for this (on account of every patient's progression with the condition being different), most doctors will usually integrate: Manual therapy or massages. Exercise and stretching.
Stage 3 – Stabilization
Bone spurs continue to grow and can narrow the spinal canal, which presses onto the spinal cord or nerve roots. This condition, called spinal stenosis, triggers pressure that can cause limb pain, tingling, and numbness. During this stage, patients may find they lose control of the legs.