Lumbar Spinal Nerves (2024)

FAQs

What is the best painkiller for spinal stenosis? ›

While the effectiveness of these medications can vary from patient to patient, baclofen, cyclobenzaprine, and methocarbamol are often considered among the top options for alleviating spinal stenosis discomfort.

Lumbar spinal stenosis can cause cauda equina syndrome, which needs medical attention right away. Call your healthcare provider if you have: Loss of bowel or bladder control.

L5 radiculopathy is usually associated with numbness down the side of the leg and into the top of the foot. S1 radiculopathy typically results in numbness down the back of the leg into the outside or bottom of the foot. Weakness is another symptom of nerve root compression.

What Are the Symptoms of L4-L5 Nerve Damage? The symptoms of L4-L5 nerve damage are typically chronic lower back pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness that radiate to the legs and feet. Spinal nerve damage can be severe.

#1 Walking For Spinal Stenosis

Walking is good, for spinal stenosis. Once your posture is changed enough the distance that you can walk will increase. If you can walk without pain with your new posture you are ready for the next step.

Anti–inflammatory medications to help relieve inflammation and pain. Over-the-counter pain relievers taken by mouth or applied to the skin. Prescription pain relievers for severe or acute pain. Anti-inflammatory or numbing injections for pain that radiates or travels due to nerve compression or irritation.

Laminectomy. This surgery removes the back part (lamina) of the affected spinal bone. This eases pressure on the nerves by making more space around them. In some cases, that bone may need to be linked to nearby spinal bones with metal hardware and a bone graft.

Walking, standing, or extending the lumbar area of the spine can cause symptoms to worsen. Sitting or flexing the lower back or neck may relieve symptoms. The flexed position “opens up” the spinal column, enlarging the spaces between vertebrae at the back of the spine.

Severe spinal stenosis can lead to partial or complete leg paralysis. This may lead to some individuals using mobility devices such as a wheelchair. However, most people with stenosis regain the use of their legs following surgery, and the outlook is positive depending on their overall health.

Adult nerve cells in the spinal cord don't regrow after damage. Why they don't, and how they might be encouraged to do so, have been areas of extensive research. Axons require a great deal of energy to regrow.

What does lumbar nerve damage feel like? ›

Numbness or less feeling in the area supplied by the nerve. Sharp, aching or burning pain, which may radiate outward. Tingling, or a pins and needles feeling. Muscle weakness in the affected area.

A pinched nerve can be caused by a slipped disc. A L4–L5 disc bulge (or slip-disc) in the L4-L5 region can cause severe health issues such as impotence and reproduction issues. It can also lead to infertility, loss or control of the bowel or bladder, paralysis in one or both of your legs, and even death.

Low-impact movements, such as walking, swimming, using a stationary bike, and cycling, are ideal because they minimize the stress on the injured disc. Pay attention to your body's pain signals, and call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve or worsen with rest and/or modified activity.

The L5 nerve root exits the spine at the level of the L4-L5 vertebrae and innervates (supplies sensation to) the muscles of the thigh and knee, as well as the skin over the front and side of the thigh. A herniated disc at this level can cause pain, numbness, or weakness in the thigh, knee, and leg.

Spinal stenosis is a condition that results in the narrowing of the spinal column, often accompanied by painful, debilitating compression of the spinal cord as well as nerve roots. For some people, the pain can be so severe it is incapacitating, making even everyday activities nearly impossible.

Anticonvulsants are one of the most effective medications for treating nerve pain. Examples include pregabalin (Lyrica) and gabapentin (Neurontin). These medications are typically very effective in treating nerve pain, but they may also cause undesired side effects, such as: lethargy.

Flare ups may be caused by muscle spasms, which can be caused by bending or twisting suddenly. They may be caused by an additional problem such as a slipped disc. Some patients may just reach a tipping point where their stenosis becomes symptomatic without any identifiable cause or event.

Muscle relaxants can improve muscle spasms, numbness, tingling, and radiating pain caused by spinal stenosis.