Does physiotherapy treat spinal stenosis?

Spinal stenosis is narrowing around the spinal canal or the openings where nerves leave the spine. In the lower back, symptoms can include back or leg discomfort, tingling, weakness or heaviness that worsens with standing or walking. Some people feel more comfortable sitting or leaning slightly forward. Symptoms vary, so an examination is needed to match treatment to your pattern.

A physiotherapist assesses strength, balance, walking tolerance, posture and movements that ease or aggravate symptoms. The goal is to support daily function while recognising signs that require medical review.

A programme may combine comfortable spinal and hip movements, strengthening for the legs and trunk, balance work, and advice on pacing. Your therapist may suggest breaking walks into manageable periods, using rest positions, and gradually increasing activity as symptoms allow. Education about posture and safe movement can make household tasks less demanding. Treatment is adjusted if an exercise increases leg pain, numbness or weakness.

Physiotherapy is one part of care. A clinician may discuss medicines, injections or surgery when symptoms remain limiting, neurological findings progress, or conservative care is not enough.

Seek urgent medical care for new loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness around the inner thighs or genital area, or rapidly worsening weakness in a leg. Contact a clinician promptly for repeated falls, walking that is becoming markedly harder, or pain with fever or significant injury. These features need assessment rather than exercise progression.

Ask which movements are appropriate for your symptoms, how to pace walking, how to monitor weakness or numbness, and when your plan should be reassessed. Ask whether another cause of leg symptoms needs to be excluded.