 BACKGROUND: Lumbar spinal stenosis LSS is a condition that is highly prevalent in the senior citizen population. LSS is the most frequent indication for spinal surgery in patients over the age of 65 years. The fastest growth in lumbar surgery in the U.S. this past decade has occurred in older adults with LSS and the rate of complex fusion procedures has increased 15-fold. These surgical procedures are associated with significant health care costs, risks, complications, and re-hospitalization rates. Yet, evidence is lacking for the effectiveness of the various non-surgical treatments offered to patients with LSS. This knowledge gap has greatly hindered the development of clinical practice guidelines relevant to the non-surgical treatment approaches for LSS. 