What is Lumbar Canal Stenosis?

The lumbar canal stenosis is a condition which indicates the narrowing of your spinal canal or the tunnels through which your nerves and other body parts communicate with the canal. This is a medical condition which usually occurs due to age-related changes and this may decrease the size of the canal. The lumbar canal stenosis or the sides which are narrowing the canals that protect the nerves which cause pinching of the nerve root of the spinal cord. As the canal diameter becomes narrow, it will increase the irritation of the nerves.

What are the risk factors of Lumbar Canal Stenosis?

The following are the risk factors of lumbar canal stenosis:

• Age: People with the age group of 50 or more are at a higher risk of developing the stenosis of the spine.
• Smoking: Smoking is another risk factor due to which of lumbar canal stenosis occurs as the ingredients which are present in the cigarettes can constrict your blood vessels and other passageways in your body.
• Obesity: Your excess body weight can put more stress on the spine which results in instability.
• Genetics: Genetic disorders can also make some individual’s more prone to lumbar canal stenosis.
• Injury history: If you have any previous history of spinal injury then it can affect your spinal stability in the later stage.

What causes lumbar canal stenosis?

Lumbar canal stenosis India can be caused due to arthritis, accidents falls, wear and tear on bones of the spine and joints, etc. The lumbar spinal canal is a space which is present inside your lower spine which carries the nerves to your legs. The growth of the bones and tissue around the spinal canal which lasts for many years will also cause narrowing of the canal. The condition where the lumbar spinal canal narrowing will squeeze the nerves that goes through it and you will experience back pain, weakness and leg pain because of this squeezing.

How the condition of lumbar canal stenosis is diagnosed?

The condition of lumbar canal stenosis can be diagnosed on the basis of the clinical exam and a thorough medical history. In some cases, your surgeon may recommend some special tests such as imaging and EMG tests and X-rays of the spine to confirm that you are dealing with lumbar canal stenosis.

What are the symptoms of lumbar canal stenosis?

The symptoms of lumbar canal stenosis include leg pain, back pain or you will also experience numbness or weakness in your legs, buttocks, hips, groin and lower back. It has been found that there are people who are suffering from this condition experience cramps in their legs. These symptoms worsen when people stand or walk, however, they may get better while they sit, lie down lean slightly forward.

According to the spine surgeons at the hospitals under Spine Surgery India, these symptoms get better when you sit or lie in the fetal position which means that you tucked your knees up to your chest. This position will open the lumbar canal and the pressure will be taken off the nerves that go to the legs.

If the condition of the lumbar canal stenosis is severe then it can cause partial or complete bladder or bowel loss.

What are the Lumbar Canal Stenosis Treatments in India?

The Lumbar Canal Stenosis Treatments in India will totally depend on how bad your symptoms of lumbar canal stenosis are. If you are dealing with some mild pain and it is not for the longer period then you can try physical therapy or follow some routine exercises which will strengthen your back muscles and also help in improving your posture. Your specialist may prescribe you with certain medications that help to reduce the spine inflammation. However, if you are suffering from more severe symptoms, then it’s an alarm that you need to immediately fix your appointment with a spine surgeon. Your surgeon will examine you and will perform the spine surgery which will help to take the pressure off the nerves in your lower spine. According to the study, the surgery is the last and the best option for most of the patients suffering from lumbar canal stenosis.

The lumbar canal stenosis can be treated in two different types which are as follows:

1. Non-surgical treatments: Aging of the spine is a natural and irreversible process and the non-surgical treatments are the best options to remove the pressure from the nerves. The study says, that the removal of pressure from the nerves will allow your spine to function normally and also help to relieve the pain related with lumbar canal stenosis. The following are some of the non-surgical treatments which include:

• Physical Therapy: The spine surgeons at the hospitals under Spine Surgery India will assign you with a physical therapist that will work with you and teach you some appropriate exercises which help to relieve the pressure from your nerves. This will also help to relieve the symptoms of weakness and pain.
• Medications: Your doctor will prescribe you with some pain-relieving medicines or the non-steroid anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) which help in decreasing the pain and will increase your physical activity levels. The medications might be taken as pills, injections or ointments.
• Pain Therapy: In this therapy, your surgeon will give you an injection in your lower back which is known as nerve blocks or the epidural blocks which help in reducing the inflammation and swelling of the nerve roots.

2. Surgery for lumbar canal stenosis: The spine surgeon will consider surgery as the last option where they will perform a surgical procedure called laminectomy to treat people with progressive symptoms of lumbar canal stenosis. This is a procedure in which your spine surgeon will open the central tunnels of the vertebrae so that the never pressure is relieved. An advanced and latest surgical procedure of lumbar canal stenosis involves the placement of a bullet-shaped metal spacer between the vertebrae and the surgeons will mechanically be optimizing the diameter of the spinal canal.

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