It may be a marker of severe spinal stenosis due to greatly increased pressure on the nerve roots controlling the bladder or bowel ('cauda equina syndrome'). In severe cases, an imbalance in your gait can occur.įrequent Urination and Bowel Control Issuesįrequent urination or loss of bladder and bowel control is a serious symptom that requires immediate medical attention. They may have difficulty doing normally simple activities such as gripping objects, buttoning, tying, writing, and typing. People with cervical spinal stenosis may have headaches or feel numbness, weakness, or reduced coordination of the arms and hands.This discomfort feels worse during walking or standing and may be eased by leaning forward, such as pushing a shopping cart or sitting. With lumbar spinal stenosis, there is compression of a lumbar nerve root that can cause lower back pain, tingling, numbness, weakness, or loss of sensation that extends into the hips, buttocks, one or both legs, and the feet.Spinal stenosis can cause pain that radiates into the limbs (radiculopathy). Nothing can cure it, but there are things you can do on your own, under your doctor's. Later, as the stenosis progresses and pressure on the spinal cord or nerves gets worse, there may be pain, weakness, or numbness in the legs, and/or problems with urination and bowel control. Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the canal in your spinal column that affects mostly people age 50 and older. What does spinal stenosis feel like? Many people with the condition do not experience any symptoms in the beginning. People with spinal deformities such as scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and those with spondylolisthesis (slippage of one vertebra over another) also have a greater risk of developing spinal stenosis. This can put pressure on the nerves and/or spinal cord. When people under the age of 50 have spinal stenosis, it is usually due to a genetic predisposition called 'congenital spinal stenosis,' which means someone is born with a small spinal canal. You are most at risk for spinal stenosis if you are over age 50, due to normal wear and tear on the spine over the years that can compress the spinal canal. Synovial cysts (fluid-filled sacs in the joints).One or more of the following conditions can contribute to spinal stenosis: In other cases, spinal stenosis results from an injury or other spine condition.

As many as 90 percent of reported cases of spinal stenosis result from degenerative changes that occur with aging.

Narrowing of the spine