Neurogenic claudication is leg pain caused by lumbar spine disease, resulting from trapped nerve roots under pressure. It is a complication of spinal stenosis, and symptoms include pain, weakness, and numbness. Treatment options include physical therapy, medications, and neurosurgery.
Neurogenic claudication (NC) is leg pain that occurs as a result of lumbar spine disease. It arises from trapped nerve roots under pressure due to a loss of space in the spinal canal, causing inflammation and neurological damage. Leg pain is sometimes accompanied by weakness and numbness elsewhere, such as in the buttocks or lower back. Treatment options include physical therapy and medications and sometimes neurosurgery to relieve pressure on the lumbar nerve roots.
Not a disease in its own right, neurogenic claudication is a major complication of spinal stenosis, the narrowing of the spinal canal that puts pressure on nerve roots in the lower back. Unlike many neurological problems that result from compression of the spinal cord itself, neurogenic claudication usually results from damage to the nerves as they exit the lumbar spine. Because of the amount of time the stricture takes to develop, NC is a later symptom of the condition, initially presenting with lower back pain and discomfort.
Over time, often years, a spinal disc enlarges and shrinks the space within the spinal canal. The ligament gradually thickens, further narrowing the area around the spine and pressing on the nerve roots. The neurological problems that characterize neurogenic claudication, such as pain and weakness, result from trapped lumbar nerves and their subsequent inflammation and ischemia, or oxygen deprivation. Unlike the damage caused by a slipped or herniated disc, spinal stenosis can affect many roots at once and cause symptoms anywhere below the affected point in the spine.
Neurogenic claudication most commonly occurs as bilateral, symmetrical pain and weakness in both legs, often the calves or thighs. It can also present as pain that radiates down the leg to the foot or as a one-sided series of symptoms in one limb. The discomfort varies with the extent of the stenosis, which is usually more intense when the affected individual is walking or standing because the spinal canal is narrower than when sitting or lying down. Patients are often middle-aged or older and report leg pain more often than any other manifestation of lumbar spine stenosis.
Treatment of neurogenic claudication requires establishing the diagnosis by ruling out vascular claudication, which can have similar symptoms but results from a circulatory rather than a neurological problem. If NC is diagnosed positively, patients can choose between conservative, medical, and surgical treatment options. The former include pain relievers, anti-inflammatory drugs, along with physical therapy and activities such as tai chi and yoga. There is no single standard neurosurgical procedure for decompressing nerves in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. Common techniques for improving motion and relieving leg pain often remove ligaments to increase space within the spine and decompress affected nerves.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
