Lumbar Spinal Stenosis- The Big Picture
The spine is one of the most important parts of our body and the lumbar spine comprises of the five lower vertebrae of the spine. The work of the spinal canal is to provide sensation and energize the legs through the nerves. What happens is that the facet joints between the vertebrae and the intervertebral discs lose the water content with age. The disc therefore becomes less spongy and its height reduces and impinges into the spinal cord. The facet joints also increase in size and bulge into the spinal cord. This narrows down the lumbar spine and is the reason behind lumbar spinal stenosis.
Usually, the middle-aged and the elderly are more prone to suffer from this because of the age factor and also because of the normal wear and tear of the spine. Both males and females fall prey to this problem.
Some of the main reasons behind this disease are:
* Hypertrophy of the facet joints
*Congenital spinal stenosis
*Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis(DISH)
*Pagets disease
*Osteoarthritis
* Abnormal bone growth
*Spondylolisthesis
*Degenerative disc disease
The medical background of patients suffering from spinal stenosis will invariably show the following symptoms:
*Low back pain
*Pain in the legs, back or buttocks
*Pain worsens upon standing or walking
*Sitting or leaning forward on a shopping cart is more comfortable
*Other than the leg pain, there maybe severe weakness in one or both the legs Amongst the various options for treatment for spinal stenosis, exercising regularly and keeping the weight down are the most highly recommended options. Smoking is injurious to health, especially for people suffering from lumbar spinal stenosis because smoking hastens the degeneration process of the spine. The doctor will first analyze the gravity of the situation and then advise the necessary treatment. Mild case may improve with only regular exercise and medications like anti-inflammatory and pain killers. Specific exercises recommended by the doctor may provide some relief. Alternative practices like acupuncture, massage, chiropractics and exercises related to flexion may be a good choice. Surgery is the last choice when no other alternative is left. Nowadays, lumbar surgery is also being done through endoscopy rather than the old methods.
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