What is spinal stenosis?
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces within the spine that house the spinal cord and nerve roots. As the canal narrows, the nerves that run through it are compressed — producing pain, weakness, and neurological symptoms that can significantly limit daily function.
Lumbar stenosis — narrowing in the lower back — is one of the most common causes of leg pain, cramping, and difficulty walking in adults over 50. The characteristic symptom is neurogenic claudication: leg pain and weakness that comes on with walking and is relieved by sitting or leaning forward. Many patients describe needing to stop and lean on a shopping cart to relieve their symptoms.
Cervical stenosis — narrowing in the neck — can compress the spinal cord itself, causing myelopathy: weakness, difficulty with fine motor tasks, imbalance, and in severe cases, risk of paralysis from minor trauma. Cervical myelopathy requires prompt evaluation and often surgical treatment.
Common symptoms.
- Leg pain, cramping, or weakness that comes on with walking and is relieved by rest
- Needing to lean forward, sit down, or stop frequently when walking
- Numbness or tingling in the legs or feet
- Weakness in the legs that is worse with activity
- Lower back pain that may or may not be the primary symptom
- Arm weakness, clumsiness, or difficulty with fine motor tasks (cervical)
- Balance problems or difficulty walking a straight line (cervical myelopathy)
- Bowel or bladder dysfunction in severe cases — requires urgent evaluation
What causes it.
- Osteoarthritis and facet joint hypertrophy — bone spurs narrowing the canal
- Ligamentum flavum hypertrophy — thickening of the spinal ligaments
- Disc bulging or herniation contributing to canal narrowing
- Spondylolisthesis — vertebral slippage reducing canal space
- Congenital narrow canal — some people are born with less space
- Prior spinal surgery — scar tissue or hardware may contribute to stenosis
When to call us.
Seek evaluation when your walking distance is significantly limited, when you have persistent leg or arm weakness, when symptoms are worsening despite conservative treatment, or when you have any bowel or bladder symptoms — which require urgent evaluation.
Cervical myelopathy in particular should not be left untreated. The spinal cord does not recover well from prolonged compression and the window for good surgical outcomes narrows over time. If you have neck problems accompanied by arm weakness or balance difficulty, do not delay evaluation.