Spinal Stenosis & Pinched Nerves

Spinal Stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal, can occur in the lumbar and the cervical spine.

In lumbar stenosis, the spinal nerve roots in the lower back are compressed, or choked, and this can cause symptoms of sciatica (tingling, weakness or numbness from the low back and into the buttocks and legs) with certain activities or positions. Lumbar spinal stenosis symptoms typically develop slowly over time, coming and going, as opposed to continuous pain, occurring during certain activities (such as walking) and/or positions (such as standing upright), and being relieved by rest (sitting or lying down) and/or any flexed forward position.

Cervical spinal stenosis refers to pain in the neck where there is compression of the spinal cord. Symptoms of spinal cord stenosis can include leg pain (sciatica) that may be accompanied by low back pain, leg numbness and tingling, and limitations in walking.

Although occasionally leg pain and stenosis symptoms will come on acutely, they generally develop over the course of several years. The longer a patient with spinal stenosis stands or walks, the worse the leg pain will get.