Conditions That Look Similar

"Herniated disc," "spondylolisthesis," "sciatica"... have all these different terms left you confused?

Lumbar spinal stenosis is a name that describes "narrowing of the nerve pathway in the lower back." The causes of this narrowing vary -- bone spurs that develop with age, bulging of the cushioning discs, thickening of the ligament behind the nerves, joint enlargement, and slight shifting of the vertebrae. Which of these changes are present, and how much they overlap, differs from person to person. So even though two people may both be told they have "lumbar spinal stenosis," what is actually happening inside their spine can be quite different.

What You'll Learn

• How spinal stenosis differs from a herniated disc
• What degenerative spondylolisthesis is
• Why "sciatica" is not a diagnosis
• How to tell the difference from vascular problems
• Why you may receive multiple diagnoses