Access the full text.
Sign up today, get DeepDyve free for 14 days.
References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.
<h2>Introduction</h2> The pain and disability associated with lumbar spinal stenosis can interfere with patients' lifestyles, leading them to seek medical attention. Typical symptoms of spinal stenosis (neurogenic claudication) include pain, numbness, and paresthesias in the posterolateral aspects of the thighs and legs. These symptoms usually radiate distally and are aggravated by prolonged walking or standing. Activities in which the lumbar spine is in flexion, such as walking uphill, leaning forward on a walker or shopping cart, or riding a bicycle, are usually better tolerated by patients with neurogenic claudication. It is crucial to distinguish between neurogenic and vascular claudication when establishing the diagnosis of spinal stenosis 1 . Claudication of vascular etiology is usually associated with calf pain, which may extend proximally. In peripheral vascular disease, lower-extremity pulses are diminished and the symptoms are aggravated by activity in any position and are relieved by rest in any position. Only after a clear diagnosis of neurogenic claudication has been made and a vascular etiology has been ruled out should treatment of spinal stenosis commence. Treatment options for lowback pain and neurogenic claudication related to lumbar spinal stenosis include nonoperative modalities, surgical decompression alone, or surgical decompression and fusion with
Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery – Wolters Kluwer Health
Published: Oct 1, 2004
Read and print from thousands of top scholarly journals.
Already have an account? Log in
Bookmark this article. You can see your Bookmarks on your DeepDyve Library.
To save an article, log in first, or sign up for a DeepDyve account if you don’t already have one.
Copy and paste the desired citation format or use the link below to download a file formatted for EndNote
Access the full text.
Sign up today, get DeepDyve free for 14 days.
All DeepDyve websites use cookies to improve your online experience. They were placed on your computer when you launched this website. You can change your cookie settings through your browser.