Neurogenic claudication is a common symptom of lumbar spinal stenosis, causing impingement or inflammation of the cauda equine nerves at the lumbar spinal canal. The clinical features of this condition are pain, fatigue and spasms of the lower limbs on walking for short distance which is variable, depending on the severity of the condition. The narrowest is the canal, the worse is the symptoms. The patient needs to sit or bend forward for few moments then can carry on with walking. Some patients can walk for a reasonable distance by pending forward, e.g. using shopping trolley or bike. This happens because sitting or pending forward would increase the spinal canal dimensions and improve nerves function. The condition should be differentiated from vascular claudicating which may give similar clinical features.
The most common cause of spinal stenosis is the spinal spondlyitis or degenerative changes with or with degenerative spondylolesthesis, where there is slipping of one vertebra over the other , causing variable canal stenosis.