Background: Low back pain (LBP) is the second leading cause of physical disability worldwide. A major neuropathic component of LBP is frequently attributed to lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), a degenerative narrowing of the spinal canal that compresses neural elements. Objective: Examine the association between the severity of LSS, pain intensity, and functional disability. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 100 adults with LBP who underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Lumbar spinal stenosis severity was graded using Lee’s classification, while pain intensity and functional disability were assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale and Oswestry Disability Index, respectively. Results: Greater stenosis severity showed a weak, positive correlation with higher pain intensity (rₛ = 0.241, p = 0.016) and with greater functional disability (rₛ = 0.247, p = 0.013). Pain intensity and disability were moderately and positively correlated (rₛ = 0.504, p = 0.000). Among the risk factors examined, obesity was the most prevalent (48%), and body mass index (BMI) showed weak positive correlations with both pain intensity (rₛ = 0.211, p = 0.035) and disability (rₛ = 0.200, p = 0.046). Conclusion: Lumbar spinal stenosis severity was significantly correlated with greater pain and disability in LBP patients. The findings also underscore the potential contribution of adiposity to symptom burden and disability.
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