Many individuals experience Back pain. When the area around the spinal cord lessens, the pressure placed on the nerves and spinal cord causes numbness, leg weakness and pain. When it affects the lower back, it is called lumbar spinal stenosis.By the time most individuals are 50 years old, degenerative problems can be seen in the spine with spinal stenosis occurring quite often after the age of 60. Although the problem affects both men and women, women tend to have symptoms that need treatment. A small number of individuals, mostly men, are born with back problems that eventually result in spinal stenosis. Symptoms for congenital problems often occur between the ages of 30 and 50.What Causes Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?Arthritis is when any joint in the body degenerates. Arthritis is the number one cause of spinal stensosis. As disks in the back degenerate, they lose water. This causes them to weaken. Weak disks can settle or completely collapse. This problem creates less space for the nerves. In response to the arthritis, the ligaments in the lower back can also increase in size. In addition, bone spurs can also narrow the opening. When the space for the nerves grows too small, the result is lumbar spinal stenosis.What are the Symptoms?People with spinal stenosis do not always have pain. It depends on the degree of arthritis they have. While pain is always an indicator that the individual should see a physician, there are also other signs and symptoms that indicate the possibility of lower back problems:pain relief when sitting down or leaning forwardburning in the legs or buttockstingling sensation or numbness in the legs or buttocksleg weaknessLumbar Spinal Stenosis TreatmentsNonsurgical methods of treating spinal stenosis include reducing or relieving the pain and restoring back function. This may include physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications or steroid injections such as cortisone. Many individuals have also found relief with chiropractic care. Although surgery is sometimes an option, it is always reserved for those who cannot regain a descent quality of life with nonsurgical methods.