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Generally, a pinched nerve will cause pain where that nerve runs in the body. So if it’s a pinched nerve in the neck, it’ll typically cause pain in the arm where that nerve goes. Similarly in the leg, if it’s a pinched nerve in the leg, for instance, it can cause pain down the back of the leg, otherwise known as sciatica.

Well, in plain English, whenever you hear the word stenosis in medicine, it just means narrowing. So if you’re in the spine surgeon’s office, it means narrowing of some part of the spine, whether the canal or where the nerves exit, and it can present in various ways depending upon whether it’s the neck or low back or pinching a nerve or not pinching a nerve.

So in simple terms, sciatica is pain running down the back of the leg, and it results from a pinched nerve, usually from a lumbar herniated disc

The difference between normal soreness and a warning sign can be difficult to distinguish. Obviously, things like severity, pose a more ominous concern if something’s terribly severe. And, duration, if some type of pain lasts for a longer period of time, that’s a little more worrisome.

And when in doubt, patients should check in with their physician.

This would not be clearly laid out in our literature, but there’s some common sense things that kind of everybody knows but not everybody does for protecting their spine long term. And that’s exercise, although excessive weightlifting can be problematic, avoiding smoking, cigarette smoking has been associated with some bad effects on the spine.

And avoiding obesity, which can put added stress on the spine. But probably the single most underrated thing people can do for their spine is to stay fit and be active and not sit on the couch.