A new reliable, valid and responsive measure for lumbar spinal stenosis

Participants with symptoms of LSS, confirmed with diagnostics (i.e MRI or CT) and who are eligible to undergoing single-level or dual level decompression surgery will be asked to complete a Self-Paced Walking Tests (SPWT), before surgery, and then again 6 weeks after surgery. The SPWT will be completed as per Tomkins-Lane protocol, with patients walking for up to 30 minutes on a flat track, or until they are forced to stop due to the LSS symptoms that normally cause them to stop. Patients will be monitored throughout. At the 1st visit, patients will also be given an activity monitor device and a free walking app (health kit app for apple devices and google fit app for android devices) that participants will carry with them throughout the SPWT. Participants will also be asked to complete a set of self-reported walking measures (the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) walking section, the Physical Function scale (of the Swiss Spinal Stenosis Questionnaire) and a question of self-perceived recovery, using a 7 point Likert scale where 1 is ‘worse than ever’, and 7 is ‘completely recovered’).