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Symptoms of Spinal Stenosis

      The various types of spinal stenosis produce very similar symptoms. In general, chronic pain with limitations on mobility are the most common symptoms associated with spinal stenosis. Pressure on the lower, or lumbar, part of the spinal cord or on nerve roots branching out from the lower back area may give rise to pain or numbness in the legs. Pressure on the upper, or cervical, part of the spinal cord (the neck area) may produce similar symptoms in the shoulders and arms.

      The symptoms of spinal stenosis usually develop slowly over time and occur during certain activities or when the body assumes certain positions. The pain may come and go, as opposed to being continuous, and, at times may be relieved by lying down or sitting in a flexed forward position. This flexed position "opens up" the spinal column, enlarging the spaces between vertebrae at the back of the spine.

      Pain in the legs when walking is a common symptom of lumbar spinal stenosis. Although occasionally this leg pain from spinal stenosis comes on acutely, it usually develops over several years. Numbness and tingling can accompany pain from lumbar spinal stenosis.

      Pseudoclaudication is pain and discomfort in the buttocks, legs and feet due to narrowing of the spinal canal from spinal stenosis. In pseudoclaudication, the narrowing of the spinal canal compresses the nerves that control movement and sensation in the legs. It may also cause numbness and weakness in the legs.

      People with more severe spinal stenosis may also experience abnormal bowel and bladder function and foot disorders. For example, cauda equina syndrome is a partial or complete loss of control of the bowel or bladder and sometimes sexual function. The collection of nerves at the end of the spinal cord is known as the cauda equina, due to its resemblance to a horse's tail. The spinal cord ends at the upper portion of the lumbar (lower back) spine. The individual nerve roots at the end of the spinal cord that provide motor and sensory function to the legs and the bladder continue along in the spinal canal. The cauda equina is the continuation of these nerve roots in the lumbar region. These nerves send and receive messages to and from the lower limbs and pelvic organs.

      Caudia equina syndrome most commonly results from a massive herniated disc in the lumbar region. A single excessive strain or injury may cause a herniated disc. However, disc material also degenerates naturally with age, and the ligaments that hold the discs in place begin to weaken. As this degeneration progresses, a relatively minor strain or twisting movement can cause a disc to rupture.

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