«Pain, weakness or loss of sensation in one or both legs are the most common symptoms.»
Dr Juliet Kahnt, Head Physician Spinal Surgery
Welcome to our blog
29. March 2021
Spinal canal stenosis, or "when walking becomes torture"
(Getty images)
If a person loses their mobility, this can have fatal consequences. Therefore, pain in the legs that restricts walking and running should be taken seriously and investigated.
Degenerative diseases occur in old age, which can make life more difficult. One of these is lumbar spinal stenosis, in which the nerve canal in the area of the lumbar spine has narrowed, usually due to wear and tear. This results in a lack of space for the nerves.
Dr Juliet Kahnt, Head Physician Spinal Surgery
The main symptom is pain, weakness or loss of sensation in one or both legs, which leads to a restriction in walking. "This is one of the most common clinical pictures we see in consultation," says Dr Juliet Kahnt, Head of Spinal Surgery at Bethesda Hospital.
The disease is characterised by the fact that those affected can only walk short distances, but cycling, for example, is not a problem. This is because the bent-forward position when cycling "opens" the spinal canal and improves the symptoms in the short term. However, in order to avoid permanent damage to the nerves and nerve structures, further investigations should be carried out.
«My primary goal is for my patients to be able to live independently and be mobile again»
Dr Juliet Kahnt, Head of Spinal Surgery
Comprehensive advice and personalised treatment
In a first step, the affected person is informed in detail and individually about the disease and its cause. An optimal course of treatment is then discussed and defined together with the patient.
If possible, a conservative treatment approach is taken before surgery. This includes physiotherapy combined with pain medication or the administration of a cortisone injection into the spinal canal. Although these therapies can usually bring about a short-term improvement, they do not solve the actual problem of the "mechanical" narrowing. If the symptoms do not improve with conservative therapy or if signs of paralysis occur, surgery is often the right option.
«Patients are allowed to get up the day after the minor procedure. They usually experience a significant improvement immediately.»
Dr Juliet Kahnt, doctor of spinal surgery
Before treatment, a comprehensive risk-benefit assessment is carried out together with the patient and a joint decision is made on whether to proceed with surgery. If the patient decides in favour of surgery, the results are noticeable immediately after the operation. "Patients can get up the day after the minor procedure. They usually experience a significant improvement immediately," says Dr Kahnt happily. Just three to five days later, patients can usually leave the hospital
Hospital as a rule.
The post-operative healing phase then begins. Patients learn back-friendly behaviour at Bethesda Hospital through in-house physiotherapy. At a later stage, the trunk muscles in particular are strengthened. To this end, patients must also complete a regular home programme. Although the operation makes up a large part of the treatment, lasting success can only be achieved with regular strengthening exercises.