Surgical Decompression Associated With Physical Therapy and Physical Therapy Isolated in Patients With Lumbar Stenosis.

Stenosis of symptomatic lumbar canal is presented as a series of degenerative changes affecting the various vertebral segment structures, including: a joint zigoapofisária, yellow ligament, the articular capsule and the intervertebral disk. These changes decrease the area of the spinal canal and press the neural structures and may present clinically as the narrow tunnel syndrome. This presentation was first described by Verbiest associated with these anatomical changes the clinical manifestations; corresponding to low back pain, pain in the legs that worsen with the fact ambulate and improve with rest, this presentation called neurogenic claudication . The lumbar canal stenosis was divided into two main types; congenital and acquired . The first is associated with a reduced size of the pedicles, which leads to a reduction of the diameter of the spinal canal, common in patients achondroplasics . The acquired is considered the most common type and is associated with aging, including all anatomical structures of the lumbar segment . With an aging population the number of symptomatic patients is increasing, although there is no statistic defined stenosis of symptomatic lumbar canal is the main reason for surgical approaches to the spine in patients over 60 years of age (7). As described by Daffner et al a reduction in blood flow leads to production of inflammatory mediators, which associated with anatomical changes previously described lead to the clinical picture with lameness and pain in the lower limbs Treatment of these patients is beginning with guidance on the disease, adequate pain control, physical therapy and exercise for maintaining the activities of daily living. If these measures fail a surgical approach may be necessary, especially in patients with exercise intolerance, difficulty walking and urinary incontinence . The surgical approach despite being widely studied in the literature prospective controlled studies are rare, found series of case studies