What procedures help treat lumbar spinal stenosis?

Surgery is done to relieve pressure on the nerve roots. This can help reduce pain, numbness and weakness in your legs.

Surgery may be recommended:

• Your pain, numbness or weakness is so bad that it gets in the way of normal daily activities and hurts your quality of life.
• You are in otherwise good health.

The goal of surgery is to relieve pain, numbness or weakness in the legs—not to relieve back pain. People who have surgery only for back pain are less satisfied with the results than are those who have surgery for nerve root symptoms and pain in both the back and legs. Also, numbness, weakness and pain may return after surgery.

• Decompressive laminectomy, which relieves pressure on the spinal nerve roots. This surgery may be done with or without spinal fusion.