Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: Low Back pain

1. Presents as pain exacerbated by prolonged ambulation, standing, and with lumbar extension, and is relieved by forward flexion and rest.

2. The patients complain of pain or discomfort that radiates to the buttock, thigh and lower leg after walking for a certain distance, therefore leading to functional disability and decreased walking capacity.

3. Shopping Cart sign

4. Symptoms are typically bilateral, but usually asymmetric. Numbness and tingling in lumbar spinal stenosis involve usually the entire leg and rarely involves only a single nerve root distribution.

5. Patients may also report walking upstairs being easier than walking downstairs, as the back is forward flexed with stairs climbing.

6. If you have pain or symptoms when you hyper-extend the spine (bend backwards) or if the pain improves when you bend forward.

7. It is related to aging, affecting mostly individuals over the age of 40-60 years

Types of Stenosis

Presentations in daily living: Shopping Cart Sign

Ask patients

1. How does the pain disrupt your life?

2. How long can you stand before you need to rest?

3. How far can you walk before you need to rest?

Book an appointment with PhysioGenics for a clinical assessment for Lumbar Spinal stenosis in St John's Wood Physiotherapy clinic. We will run through a series of tests to identify neurological presentations.

If needed we refer our patient for an MRI scans for routine or rapid access.