What is lumbar canal stenosis?

Lumbar canal stenosis is a disease caused by gradual narrowing of the spinal canal usually by wear or arthrosis of the vertebrae of the lower back.

The spinal canal is the passageway through which the nerves travel on their way from the spinal cord to the legs. That is, a narrowing at this level produces compression and damage to the nerves of the lower extremities.

What symptoms does lumbar canal stenosis cause?

It is a very frequent degenerative disease that usually severely restricts the ability to walk and deteriorate the quality of life.

Patients with lumbar canal stenosis typically have back and / or buttock pain and leg pain that increases with activity and especially when walking.

In some cases, lumbar canal stenosis is accompanied by instability or excessive spinal motion which means inability of the spine to support body weight without pain or other symptoms under normal life circumstances.

Is there a treatment to alleviate lumbar canal stenosis?

Lumbar canal stenosis is nowadays the most common indication for spinal surgery because there is scientific evidence that surgery is superior to other treatment alternatives.

There are several options within the surgical treatment. The classic option is to remove the bone from the back of the vertebrae and release the compression on the nerves. Today, we have minimally invasive techniques that are the natural evolution of classic procedures and are based on removing only that part of bone or on bone growth that produces nerve compression, preserving normal vertebral structures. In some cases, vertebral fusion or arthrodesis may be necessary, consisting of the permanent attachment of two or more vertebrae.

What is the surgical process of lumbar canal stenosis? It is safe?

It is a surgery that spine surgeons perform quite frequently, being a fairly safe process, but like all surgery, is not exempt of possible complications.

As for the age, there is no limit that prevents to carry out the surgical procedure, reason why it is advisable to treat this illness by surgery, since the improvement in the quality of the patient is clear.