What are the symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis?

       Lumbar spinal stenosis refers to the narrowing of the vertebral canal lumen due to structural abnormalities of the spinal canal caused by primary or secondary factors, resulting in back and leg pain characterized by intermittent claudication.  Lumbar spinal stenosis due to spinal degeneration can be caused by thickening of the vertebral plate, vertebral body osteophytes, disc herniation, spinal slippage, small joint hypertrophy or hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum that reduces the volume of the spinal canal. Spinal stenosis can be extensive or very limited, involving only one segment or a portion of a segment. The latest nomenclature classifies locally limited stenosis into central, lateral saphenous, foraminal, and extradural types.  Symptoms of all types of spinal stenosis develop insidiously and can occasionally be exacerbated by trauma or heavy physical activity. Many patients have significant changes visible on x-ray, but symptoms are mild and signs are few, and the vast majority of patients can be treated conservatively for many years.  The complaints of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis vary widely. The main symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis are chronic and recurrent back and leg pain and intermittent claudication in patients who are more likely to be middle-aged than female. The nature of the pain is soreness or burning pain, some of which may radiate to the lateral or anterior thighs, etc., mostly bilaterally, and may alternate between the left and right legs.  When standing and walking, lumbar and leg pain or numbness and weakness appear, pain and limp gradually worsen, even can not continue to walk, the symptoms improve after rest, riding a bicycle without hindrance. In severe cases, it may cause urinary urgency or difficulty in urination. Some patients may develop muscle atrophy of the lower limbs, with the anterior tibialis and extensor muscles being the most obvious, hyperalgesia, dull knee or Achilles tendon reflexes, and positive straight leg raise test. However, some patients have many complaints without any positive signs.