This deterioration leads to compression of the nerves in the lower back, causing pain in the lower back as well as pain, loss of sensation and weakness in the legs. No studies have examined the frequency of LSS in the normal population. However, it is possible to estimate a number based on studies that found people who have had surgery to correct LSS have exhibited symptoms for three to six years. That number is expected to grow by 50 percent over the next two decades as Baby Boomers reach retirement age. A. LSS is generally characterized by a dull, intermittent pain in the lower back that comes on when patients walk or stand, and radiates to the buttocks and into one or both thighs, then the legs.
Some patients experience additional symptoms such as tingling, numbness or weakness in the legs.
In extreme cases, which are rare, patients can lose strength and motor function in the legs as well as loss of bladder and bowel control. A. Symptoms tend to become more pronounced when sufferers walk or stand and are eased by sitting down. But, while sitting may provide relief in the earlier stages of the condition, it provides less relief as the stenosis progresses. As we age, our bodies dehydrate. As the water content drops, the disks that separate and cushion our vertebrae dry out and shrink.