Lumbar spinal stenosis causes many dangerous complications

Spinal stenosis, especially lumbar spinal stenosis, is a very common disease. The disease can cause mild to severe symptoms such as back pain and sciatic nerve pain, which can spread to both legs causing paresthesia (numbness and tremors), sometimes muscle paralysis and muscle disorders. round, secretive...

Causes of spinal stenosis may include:
Degenerative changes can lead to the formation of bone spurs from the vertebral body. These bone spurs can grow into the spinal canal and cause compression of the spinal cord. Degeneration of spinal ligaments (eg, posterior longitudinal ligament, ligamentum fascia) thickens and narrows the lumen of the spinal canal. If ankylosing spondylitis occurs, these joints will enlarge so much that they press on the spinal canal. The anteroposterior diameter of the spinal canal is reduced when a disc herniates or bulges.

Sciatica with low back pain, numbness and tightness in the legs. Leg pain when walking: This is a symptom that can occur due to either narrowing of the spinal canal or inflammation of the arteries of the lower extremities. Leg pain from these causes all subside with rest, but with spinal stenosis, the patient often has to sit down for a few minutes to relieve the pain and is often accompanied by low back pain. Although sometimes the symptoms of spinal stenosis come on immediately, they generally develop over a long period of time. The longer a patient with lumbar spinal stenosis stands or walks, the worse the leg pain. Bend forward or sit down will widen the spine and relieve leg pain and other symptoms, but the pain will return if the patient keeps the back straight.

In rare cases, lumbar spinal stenosis can cause more serious damage to the point of persistent pain and paralysis of the legs. In most cases, the pain radiates to the legs when walking, and the pain is relieved when sitting (this phenomenon can also be seen in lower extremity arteritis).
Cervical spinal stenosis can be more dangerous due to spinal cord compression and can lead to weakness in the arms and even quadriplegia. This does not happen in the lumbar spine, because the spinal cord is absent in the lumbar spine segment.

Indications for surgery are made when the patient does not respond to conservative treatments (drugs, spinal stretching, rehabilitation...).
Currently, there are many different surgical methods to treat lumbar spinal stenosis such as: nerve decompression surgery, simple spinal widening; or a combination of post-silicone interspinous spine support, surgical removal of the entire disc with fixed bone welding; laparoscopic surgery to open the bone window to decompress...
In addition to the above techniques, depending on each specific case, the doctor can specify appropriate surgical methods, such as using the following fixed osteoporosis screw. when nerve decompression in osteoporosis patients, fixation of the spine alone after spinal decompression in cases of multistage spinal stenosis in the elderly
In summary, lumbar spinal stenosis not only affects the affects the daily life of the patient, but also causes many dangerous complications. Therefore, when experiencing low back pain accompanied by leg pain, numbness, ... or any other abnormal signs, it is necessary to immediately go to a medical facility for timely examination and treatment.
Vinmec International General Hospital is equipped with the most advanced imaging aids for diagnosis and treatment today: G.E 3.0 MRI (MRI) scanner, Toshiba 640 slices CT SCAN, MRA and CTA. .. These devices give clear images of brain and spine pathologies of both medical and surgical pathology (spinal trauma, lumbar spinal stenosis, lumbar spondylolisthesis, herniated disc). buffer...)..
If you have a need for consultation and examination at Vinmec Hospitals under the national health system, please book an appointment on the website for service.