Understanding Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

When you see your doctor, consider asking these questions:

1. "What type of stenosis do I have? Is it central, lateral, or combined? Is it the cauda equina type or nerve root type?"

   • Understanding both the structural type and the symptom type helps you make sense of your treatment options

2. "Is my stenosis mild, moderate, or severe?"

   • This helps you understand how advanced the condition is and what to expect going forward

3. "Do my symptoms match what the MRI shows?"

   • This helps confirm whether the narrowing seen on imaging is truly causing your symptoms

4. "Is my stenosis likely to get worse over time?"

   • This helps you understand whether monitoring or preventive measures may be needed

5. "What treatment do you recommend at this stage?"

   • This opens a conversation about the options that are most appropriate for your current situation

Tip: Ask your doctor to show you your MRI images while explaining your condition — seeing the pictures makes it much easier to understand. Many clinics can provide you with a copy of your images, so don't hesitate to ask.

This page provides medically accurate information authored by an orthopedic spine surgeon. For diagnosis and treatment of your individual condition, please consult your physician.