Lumbar Stenosis. Definition

From 8% to 11% of the world population has lumbar spinal stenosis. This pathological condition is more prevalent in women and the risk of the condition increases with age.
The spine is made up of 33 individual bones called vertebrae. These are separated by intervertebral discs.
A vertical tunnel, the spinal canal, which contains the spinal cord is located behind the vertebral bodies. The spinal canal protects the spinal cord from injury.
The spinal nerves branch off the spinal cord in pairs, and travel through small openings between the vertebrae, called intervertebral foramina.
Usually, lumbar stenosis occurs with aging, when normal wear and tear causes the loss of cushioning between the spinal vertebrae.
Degenerative processes lead to the formation of bone spurs, ligament thickening, or disc bulging.
These changes may cause narrowing of the spinal canal or spinal foramina, which crowd the spinal cord and spinal nerves.