Patients with spinal stenosis primarily present with localised pain and sensory or motor deficits in the corresponding innervated areas. Patients with cervical spinal stenosis may experience pain and discomfort in the cervical-occipital and dorsal-shoulder regions, radiating pain in the upper limbs, numbness or hypesthesia in severe cases, as well as impairment of fine hand movements, loss of muscle strength, muscle atrophy and positive pathological signs.
Patients with thoracic spinal stenosis may have a girdling sensation in the thoracic abdomen, sinking, stiffness, weakness, numbness and/or pain in one or both lower limbs, and unsteadiness in walking, as well as intermittent claudication of spinal origin.
In contrast, patients with lumbar spinal stenosis may have lower back pain and sciatica, as well as intermittent claudication of neurogenic origin and, in severe cases, limb numbness, muscle weakness and muscle atrophy.