Overview of Spinal Stenosis

• leg and foot pain brought about by certain postures. This is called "neurogenic claudication".
• Sciatica pain
• radiating pain, with numbness, tingling and weakness of one or both legs
• Foot or gait problems, especially a slapping foot during walking. This is known as "foot-drop".
• Loss of balance.
• An extreme form of LSS – called cauda equina – interrupts bowel, bladder and sexual function and the weakness of the legs is severe. Cauda equina is a very serious form of lumbar spinal stenosis, and is a medical and surgical emergency.

In 25% of cases, stenosis affects the cervical area of the spine. Symptoms for cervical spinal stenosis include:

• Pain in neck, back, shoulders and arms
• pain, numbness, weakness, cramping in the arms.
Because stenosis in the neck area can exert pressure on the spinal cord, symptoms also may include weakness, and numbness in the legs and feet, and even bowel or bladder incontinence.

Sometimes diagnosing spinal stenosis is difficult, because the signs and symptoms are shared with other conditions. In these cases, medical imaging can be helpful.