Lumbar spinal stenosis

[Julene]

Lumbar spinal stenosis is narrowing of the lumbar spinal canal compresses the nerve rootlets and nerve roots in the cauda equina before their exit from the foramina. It causes positional back pain, symptoms of nerve root compression in the foramina, and lower-extremity pain during walking or weight bearing.
(See also Evaluation of Neck and Back Pain.)
Spinal stenosis can be congenital or acquired. It may involve the cervical or lumbar spine. Acquired lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a common cause of sciatica in middle-aged or elderly patients. The most common causes of LSS are osteoarthritis, degenerative disk disorders, spondylosis, and spondylolisthesis with compression of the cauda equina. Other causes include Paget disease of bone and ankylosing spondylitis.