Understanding Lumbar Radiculopathy (Sciatica)

What causes lumbar radiculopathy?

Aging, injury, poor posture, extra body weight, and other issues can lead to problems in the lower back. These problems may then irritate nerve roots. They include:

• Damage to a disk in the lumbar spine. The damaged disk may then press on nearby nerve roots.

• Degeneration from wear and tear, and aging. This can lead to narrowing (stenosis) of the openings between the vertebrae. The narrowed openings press on nerve roots as they leave the spinal canal.

• Unstable spine. This is when a vertebra slips forward. It can then press on a nerve root.

Other, less common things such as infection or a tumor can put pressure on nerves in the lower back.

Symptoms of lumbar radiculopathy

These include:

• Shooting pain in the lower back

• Pain, numbness, tingling, or muscle weakness that travels into the buttocks, hip, groin, or leg

• Muscle spasms in the low back, or leg

Treatment for lumbar radiculopathy

In most cases, treatment depends on the cause and severity of symptoms. Your healthcare provider will first try treatments that help ease symptoms. These may include:

• Prescription and over-the-counter pain medicines These help ease pain, swelling, and irritation.

• Limits on positions and activities that increase pain. But lying in bed or avoiding all movement is only advised for a short time if necessary.

• Physical therapy, including exercises and stretches. This helps decrease pain and increase movement and function.

• Steroid shots into the lower back. This may help ease symptoms for a time.

• Weight-loss. If you're overweight, losing extra pounds may help ease symptoms.

In some cases, you may need surgery to fix the underlying problem. This depends on the cause, the symptoms, and how long the pain has lasted.

In cases where symptoms don't get better, imaging studies, electromyography, and nerve conduction studies can help make a diagnosis. Severe symptoms require imaging or urgent surgery.

Possible complications

Over time, an irritated and inflamed nerve may become damaged. This may lead to long-lasting (permanent) numbness or weakness in your legs and feet. Other complications include loss of function, decreased quality of life, chronic pain and muscle shrinking. If symptoms change suddenly or get worse, tell your healthcare provider.

When to call your healthcare provider

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these:

• New pain or pain that gets worse

• New or increasing weakness, tingling, or numbness in your leg or foot

• Problems controlling your bladder or bowel