Spinal pathologies

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Lumbar spinal stenosis is a degenerative condition of the spine characterized by the progressive narrowing of the spinal canal and the spaces through which the lumbar nerve roots pass.

This narrowing can cause nerve compression and lead to lower back pain, sciatica, difficulty walking, leg weakness, and progressive functional limitation.

Lumbar stenosis is one of the most frequent causes of pain and disability in adult and elderly patients, especially in the context of chronic vertebral degeneration.

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What happens in lumbar stenosis?

The lumbar canal is the anatomical space through which the distal spinal cord and lumbar nerve roots run.

With aging and degenerative processes, different structures of the spine can increase in size or shift, progressively reducing the space available for nerve structures.

The main mechanisms responsible for the narrowing include:

Disc degeneration and collapse
Herniated and bulging discs
Lumbar facet joint osteoarthritis
Hypertrophy of the ligaments flavum
Vertebral osteophytes
Spondylolisthesis and vertebral instability

Prolonged compression of nerve roots can lead to neural inflammation, neurological disorders, and progressive functional limitation.

What are the most common symptoms?

The symptoms may vary depending on the degree and location of the stenosis.

The most common symptoms include:

Chronic lower back pain
Pain radiating to buttocks or legs
Bilateral or unilateral lumbosciatalgia
A feeling of heaviness or weakness in the legs
Neurogenic claudication (pain in lower limbs or fatigue when walking)
Tingling or sensory disturbances in lower limbs
Difficulty standing or walking long distances
Partial improvement when sitting or leaning forward

In advanced cases, progressive neurological deficits and sphincter dysfunction may appear.

In early or moderate stages, treatment may include:

Specialized pharmacological treatment
Physiotherapy and functional rehabilitation
Lumbopelvic strengthening and postural re-education
Pain and inflammation control

When symptoms persist or progress, advanced interventional techniques may be used, such as:

Image-guided infiltrative treatments in the epidural cavity
Radiofrequency and neuromodulation techniques
Epidural adhesiolysis and neuroplasty
Percutaneous Lumbar Extraforaminoplasty (PLEF) Park/Ruiz-López Technique
Minimally invasive spinal endoscopy
Percutaneous techniques for foraminal and ligamentous decompression

Treatment of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

At VERTEBRA SpinePain & Regenerative SURGERY CENTERS we perform a comprehensive and personalized approach to lumbar stenosis using advanced spinal intervention techniques, endoscopy and minimally invasive image-guided surgery.