Lumbar Back Pain
One common cause for lower back pain can be a herniated lumbar disc or lumbar degenerative disc disease. Many times this pain would be a result of the disc material compressing the spinal nerves or spinal cord. Both of these conditions can cause sciatic like symptoms since your sciatic nerve is located in the lower back and sciatica symptoms would cause pain, numbness and tingling in the lower extremities.
While it is possible to avoid doing activities that may lead to a herniated lumbar disc, with something like lumbar degenerative disc disease it is unavoidable as it is caused by the normal degeneration of the structures in your spine that occur as we all age. As we get older these parts begin to break down from the normal wear and tear that the spine goes through daily. Keep in mind though that exercise and healthy living can decrease the rate of this degeneration so it is best to keep active and fit.
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That does not mean that everyone will at some point have back pain due to a degenerative lumbar disc or even a herniated disc, as many people have these two back conditions and have no symptoms at all.
The lumbar area of your spine is known as the lower back, this region of the spine is responsible for bearing the weight of the body so these vertebrae are much larger in size then the ones above it. This larger size allows the vertebrae to support more weight than the vertebrae above it. Your lumbar area has 5 vertebrae numbered L1 thought L5.
A herniated disc occurs when the tough outer shell of the disc known as the annulus fibrous breaks or cracks open and allows the soft gel like center, the nucleus pulposus, to push out and into the spinal canal.
With lumbar degenerative disc disease these discs start to lose their flexibility, elasticity and shock absorbing properties due to the decrease in the amount of fluid that is inside the discs. This degeneration of the discs can lead to spinal instability as other areas of the spine get damaged either due to bone spurs or a thickening of the ligaments that help to support the spine.
Symptoms of a herniated lumbar disc or lumbar degenerative disc disease may be any of the following:
• Back pain
• Leg pain
• Muscle weakness
• Muscle spasms
• Back stiffness
• Pain that radiates down the legs and into your feet
• Decrease in the range of motion your back has
• Numbness or tingling
• Sciatica – pain that starts near the back or buttock and travels down the leg to the calf or into the foot
To diagnosis either condition your doctor will need to perform a physical examination and a complete medical history. They may need to use diagnostic tests such as an X-ray, CT scan or a MRI to rule out other back conditions that may be present with the same symptoms, as well as confirm the reason for your back pain.
What type of treatment you may need will depend on the cause of your back pain, your age, overall health, how severe your condition is, your lifestyle, and what you would prefer to do to treat this pain.
