What is Spinal Stenosis?
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces within the spine, most often in the neck or lower back, that places pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots. It is usually caused by age-related changes — thickened ligaments, bone spurs, and bulging discs gradually crowding the canal.
Symptoms often include pain or cramping in the legs when standing or walking that eases when sitting or leaning forward. Conservative treatment is tried first; when it no longer controls symptoms, a lumbar laminectomy and decompression can reopen the canal and relieve pressure on the nerves, frequently using minimally invasive techniques.
Common symptoms
Why it happens
With age, ligaments thicken, facet joints enlarge with arthritis, and discs bulge — together narrowing the canal. Some people are born with a narrow canal and become symptomatic earlier. The lumbar and cervical levels bear the most load and are most often affected.
How it is diagnosed
The story is often diagnostic: leg pain when walking that eases with sitting or leaning forward. MRI confirms the narrowing and identifies the compressed levels; standing X-rays check for slippage or instability that would change the surgical plan.
Treatment options
Therapy focused on flexion-based conditioning, medication, and epidural injections help many patients. When walking tolerance keeps shrinking, a laminectomy — often through a minimally invasive tubular approach — reopens the canal; decompression is combined with stabilization only when instability is present.
