Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the lumbar or cervical spinal canal. The narrowing can cause compression of nerve roots resulting in pain or weakness of the legs (lumbar spinal stenosis) or arms (cervical spinal stenosis). Medications or steroid injections are often administered to reduce inflammation. If the pain is persistent and does not respond to these conservative measures, surgery is considered to relieve the pressure on the nerves.
Review Date:
10/1/2018 Reviewed By: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, FACC Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at New York Medical College, and in private practice specializing in cardiovascular disease in Greenwich, CT. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. |