What is lumbar spinal stenosis all about?

  Lumbar spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the canal in one or more planes due to bony or fibrous hyperplasia and displacement, resulting in clinical symptoms due to compression of the cauda equina or nerve roots. The pathological changes that cause spinal stenosis are multifaceted, the most important ones are: disc bulging and protrusion, hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the ligamentum flavum, hyperplasia and coalescence of small joints, and narrowing of the central canal of the lumbar spine, the nerve root canal or the lateral saphenous fossa due to bony degeneration, which causes compression of the cauda equina and nerve roots and corresponding neurological dysfunction.  In clinical practice, lumbar spinal stenosis is one of the most common diseases causing low back pain or low back pain. Its main clinical features are neurological intermittent claudication, as well as weakness and discomfort in the buttocks, thighs, and calves, which are relieved by bending, squatting, or lying down when standing, walking, and lumbar hyperextension, and the pain disappears. Cyclists may have no discomfort at all. Another clinical feature is abnormal sensation in the saddle area (perineum) and abnormal urinary and fecal functions Clinical statistics show that lumbar spinal stenosis occurs most frequently in the lumbar 4 and 5 segments, followed by the lumbar 5 and sacral 1 segments. The lumbar 4 and 5 and lumbar 5 and sacral 1 segments are located at the lowermost part of the spine and bear the greatest pressure, which is the most concentrated stress area in the whole body. Moreover, because the sacrum is fixed and not involved in generating coordinated cushioning during activities, the activities of the upper segments eventually concentrate on these two parts. At the same time, the lumbar spine is frequently active in all directions, and the bony and fibrous structures are more prone to osteophytes and ligamentous hypertrophy leading to acquired spinal stenosis.