About Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) affects more than 1.2 million people each year in the U.S. So what exactly is LSS, and how can you tell if you’re suffering from it?
Perhaps you or someone you know woke up one morning with a dull, aching pain in the back that spread to your legs once you were up and moving around.
If you do suffer from LSS, you’ll likely notice a numbness in your legs or a “pins and needles” sensation when you’re active. You may have to hold on to something to catch your balance just to bend over. Walking or standing can make the pain even worse. Grocery shopping or just getting the mail can become a painful chore that requires resting or sitting in order to relieve the leg pain. Sitting down, putting your feet up, or bending forward while walking are other ways to stop the pain caused by LSS.
Your spine provides support for your back and body. It also protects the spinal cord, the bundle of nerve tissues that runs from your brain to your lower body. The bony channel that encloses the spinal cord is called the spinal canal. Usually, there is enough space between the spinal cord and the spinal canal so that the nerves that flow through and exit the spinal canal are free of obstruction.
As your body ages, however, the ligaments and bones outside the spinal canal may thicken and begin to press on the spinal canal, causing it to narrow. This narrowing of the spinal canal is called spinal stenosis. When that occurs in the lower part of the spine, it’s called lumbar spinal stenosis. This narrowing of the canal can compress or pinch nerve tissues, resulting in pain, numbness and disability.
Spine with LSS Normal Spine
If you or someone you know suffers from LSS, ask your physician about the mild alternative. The mild procedure offers patients who suffer from LSS a safe, therapeutic treatment that provides lasting pain relief and increased mobility, with minimal recovery time.
View our patient testimonial videos to hear from LSS patients who have already experienced the benefits of the mild treatment.
