Lower Back

Spinal Stenosis

Narrowing of the spinal canal causing pain and heaviness with standing and walking.

Understanding it

Stenosis is a wear-and-tear narrowing of the spinal canal that crowds the nerves — the classic story is a walker who has to sit down every block. While the narrowing itself is structural, the pain flare is inflammatory, and epidural injections can restore meaningful walking distance. For selected patients, newer interventional options bridge the gap before considering surgery.

When to seek care

If your walking distance is shrinking or standing tolerance limits daily life, an evaluation can map the options — most of which do not involve surgery.

How Dr. Iyer treats it