Which procedure is a surgical option for lumbar spinal stenosis?

Which procedure is a surgical option for lumbar spinal stenosis?

• A. Laminectomy
• B. Physiotherapy
• C. NSAIDs
• D. Steroid injections

Answer: (A)

Lumbar spinal stenosis is caused by narrowing of the spinal canal that compresses the nerve roots, so relief often requires widening the canal to decompress neural structures. The surgical option is decompressive laminectomy, where the lamina is removed to enlarge the spinal canal and relieve pressure on the nerves. This directly addresses the mechanical compression that drives symptoms like neurogenic claudication. Nonoperative choices—physiotherapy, NSAIDs, and steroid injections—aim to reduce pain or improve function without decompressing the canal. They can help with symptom relief or rehabilitation but do not correct the underlying narrowing.

Lumbar spinal stenosis is caused by narrowing of the spinal canal that compresses the nerve roots, so relief often requires widening the canal to decompress neural structures. The surgical option is decompressive laminectomy, where the lamina is removed to enlarge the spinal canal and relieve pressure on the nerves. This directly addresses the mechanical compression that drives symptoms like neurogenic claudication.

Nonoperative choices—physiotherapy, NSAIDs, and steroid injections—aim to reduce pain or improve function without decompressing the canal. They can help with symptom relief or rehabilitation but do not correct the underlying narrowing.