The typical presentation of canal stenosis is leg pain made worse by walking. This comes about because one or more nerves are squashed where they protrude from the spinal canal. Walking not only causes mechanical pressure on the nerve, but also causes increased blood flow through the region, which will aggravate the symptoms. If you experience pain in your legs when you walk, there are three primary causes a doctor will consider. Only one is caused by canal stenosis, and it’s called spinal claudication. Claudication simply means pain in the legs when walking. The other two, vascular claudication, and hip arthritis are unrelated to Canal Stenosis. Your doctor will attempt to diagnose which cause is most likely in your case.