Where does stenosis occur?
Spinal stenosis can happen in any part of your spine but is most common in the lower back. This part of your spine is called your lumbar area. Five lumbar vertebrae connect your upper spine to your pelvis.
Does spinal stenosis get worse as the day goes on?
Symptoms of lumbar canal stenosis include pain, numbness or weakness in the legs, groin, hips, buttocks, and lower back. Symptoms usually worsen when walking or standing and might decrease when lying down, sitting, or leaning slightly forward.
What happens if there is no cure for spinal stenosis?
Without treatment, spinal stenosis may lead to permanent nerve damage. Stenosis may develop in any part of the spine, though it is most common in the lower back (lumbar spine) or in the neck (cervical spine).
What are the symptoms of spinal stenosis in the lumbar spine?
Common signs and symptoms for different locations are highlighted below. Spinal stenosis in the lumbar spine may compress a lumbar spinal nerve (s) and send pain, tingling, numbness, and/or weakness into the leg (s). If the cauda equina (spinal nerves that run down the lumbar spinal canal) becomes compressed, cauda equina syndrome may occur.
How is spinal stenosis diagnosed at NYU Langone?
Visible muscle twitches or spasms may also suggest nerve damage. NYU Langone doctors also use imaging tests to confirm a diagnosis of lumbar or cervical stenosis. Doctors frequently recommend X-rays as a first diagnostic imaging test. X-rays allow doctors to measure the diameter of the spinal canal and detect a fracture in the spine.
Can you have spinal stenosis in the thoracic spine?
It rarely occurs in the thoracic spine. Spinal stenosis may also occur in multiple places, such as in both the cervical spine and lumbar spine (tandem stenosis). Getting an accurate diagnosis for spinal stenosis typically requires a 3-step process: Patient history.
Without treatment, spinal stenosis may lead to permanent nerve damage. Stenosis may develop in any part of the spine, though it is most common in the lower back (lumbar spine) or in the neck (cervical spine).
Common signs and symptoms for different locations are highlighted below. Spinal stenosis in the lumbar spine may compress a lumbar spinal nerve (s) and send pain, tingling, numbness, and/or weakness into the leg (s). If the cauda equina (spinal nerves that run down the lumbar spinal canal) becomes compressed, cauda equina syndrome may occur.
Visible muscle twitches or spasms may also suggest nerve damage. NYU Langone doctors also use imaging tests to confirm a diagnosis of lumbar or cervical stenosis. Doctors frequently recommend X-rays as a first diagnostic imaging test. X-rays allow doctors to measure the diameter of the spinal canal and detect a fracture in the spine.
It rarely occurs in the thoracic spine. Spinal stenosis may also occur in multiple places, such as in both the cervical spine and lumbar spine (tandem stenosis). Getting an accurate diagnosis for spinal stenosis typically requires a 3-step process: Patient history.