Radiculopathy lumbar-sacral spine: symptoms and treatment

Radiculopathy, also known as radicular syndrome, characteristic of the disease of the lumbosacral spine. When radiculopathy develops damage to the nerve fibers of the spinal cord that cause pain and disorders musculoskeletal – lameness, loss of the ability to stand, sit. Develops most often in adulthood, as the spine begins to SAG and put pressure on the nervous tissue.

Nervous tissue is damaged, the process of inflammation due to programmed cell death. Damaged tissue is replaced by connective, which is unable to transmit nerve impulses. If untreated, develops loss of motor function of the leg, which is the responsibility of damaged nerve fibers.

Reasons

Due to the expansion or displacement of surrounding nerve ending tissue it is a pinched nerve. Octoberfebruary separates the two type of radiculopathy – radiculopathy discogenic lumbar sacral and sacral vertebral osteogenic lumbar radiculopathy (vertebrogenic radiculopathy). In the principal factors leading to the pathology of lumbar sacral radiculopathy include:

• Infection that affect osteogenesis;
• Tumor;
• Osteoporotic changes in bone tissue of the vertebrae;
• Spondylosis;
• Scoliosis;
• Age-related changes of the spine.

To modify the osteogenesis infections include bone tuberculosis, osteomyelitis, and syphilis. The word osteogenesis refers to the process of metabolism in the bone – in cut of public opinion, bone is living tissue that is constantly changing. In the bones there is an active exchange of calcium, which is an important substance in the brain. With a lack of calcium in the blood, the body with the help of a hormone produced by the parathyroid gland – calcitonin will destroy the bones, extracting from them the necessary material. Infections impact on this process, accelerating the destruction of the bones.

Tumors can develop from any tissue, for example in the case of cancer will develop bone sarcoma, which will lead to the infringement. This is not dangerous radiculopathy pain syndrome, and the presence of the tumor which can be malignant and to metastasize.

Osteoporosis is the destruction of bone structure – it becomes softer. The vertebral body is easy prominaetsya under the weight of the body. Despite this, the process of formation of bone tissue continues, the bone begins to grow in the wrong direction, zadamlya a nerve root. Osteoporosis develops over long periods of time. In rare cases, the deformation of the ribs, which will give similar to the radiculopathy syndromes, but the pain will develop in the thoracic spine.

Spondylosis is called the thorn growth of bone tissue at the edges of the vertebrae. "Thorns" press down the nerve, and in severe cases completely disrupt its course.

• Read also about other diseases of the lumbar

Under the scoliosis refers to a curvature of the spine away from its normal axis. Scoliosis disturbed structure of skeletal muscle of the body, which stretches the vertebrae. With a strong degree of inclination may be compression or squashing of the spine, which will lead to acute pain syndrome and loss of sensation or motor function of a limb or single area of the body.

With age, the spine loses its elasticity. In the first place is a violation of elasticity of the gelatinous bodies of the intervertebral discs that allow the spine to sink. Observed scoliosis, kyphosis. Pressure on the lumbosacral increases, the increased pressure on the pelvis, occur trophic changes in the bone tissue of the spine. Occurs osteoporosis, spondylosis.

Discogenic radiculopathy

Discogenic radiculopathy occurs due to the development of herniated discs. The gelatinous sheath of the intervertebral disc is torn, the substance is released into the surrounding space, pressing on the soft tissue. There are two degree – rupture of the fibrous ring and without.

In the absence of a gap (protrusion of the intervertebral disc) of the fibrous ring becomes thinner. Gelatinous body increases its pressure, leading to compression of the spine. In the case of hernia of the fibrous ring is broken, the substance is released into the space. In addition to the spine may damage the spinal cord and its surroundingmuscles.

The causes also include physical injuries – strokes and fractures. When vertebral fracture, there is often a displacement of the fragments, which begin to put pressure on the affected nerve.

Symptoms

The most prone to radiculopathy area of the back is the Sacro-lumbar joints. Lumbosacral radiculopathy in the lead in terms of frequency, because this joint bears the greatest load, in contrast to the joints of the neck and the thoracic.

• See also: Treatment of cervical radiculopathy

Symptoms:

• Severe pain;
• Numbness of limbs;
• Change poses unusual for the patient;
• Curvature;
• Heart attacks.

The main symptom of RCC is a pain. After the infringement will arise a sharp shooting pain impulses by reason of the pinching of the spine. The numbness occurs due to loss of conduction of sensory nerve fibers. Can also perejimati vessels, causing disturbed blood supply to the fibers and loss of its functionality.

Suggest to read: osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome.

If damaged sciatic nerve, sacral plexus, the pain will spread to the back part of the legs – thighs, calves, the front part of the foot. When damage to the lumbar nerve lumbar plexus pain will spread to the back and stomach.

Because of the pain, the patient tries to adopt the most comfortable position – one in which pain is most weakens. Because of the peculiarities of the disease, this posture is flexion of the trunk to the side opposite the lesion – infringement of reduced, the pain becomes weaker.

• See also: the Violation of the statics of the lumbar-sacral spine.

Curvature is a response to pain syndrome muscle because the pain is compressed, the spine warps, starts on the tonic scoliosis. If the pain does not stop, the changes can be permanent and life-threatening human. Because the vertebrae are the major arteries, with radiculopathy may be associated damage to veins and arteries. They will lead to the destruction of nervous tissue breakdown products of blood. The effect is called a stroke and is a threat to patient's life, requires urgent medical intervention and a long rehab.

Treatment

Radiculopathy lumbar and sacral spine require treatment, and the earlier medical and surgical events, the greater the chance for the lack of long-term pathological syndromes on the basis of the disease.

By therapeutic methods include:

• Analgesic drugs;
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
• Blockade;
• Muscle relaxants to relieve muscle spasms;
• Physiotherapy;
• Physiotherapy;
• Massage the affected area.

Analgesics relieve primary pain syndrome. The pain forms a lesion in the brain – pain area, which in the future threatens the development of epilepsy, and damage cognitive functions. Anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticoid nature, stop the immune response to destroyed cells, stopping the further development of the disease.

Blockades are more serious treatment – an injection of lidocaine or novocaine in the area of the damaged nerve stops the nerve impulse conduction and stops the development of pain syndrome. Paravertebral blocks can be performed only in a sterile procedure room or minor operating room and require operating knowledge of spine anatomy and spine.

Muscle relaxants reduce muscle tone and stop the progression of scoliosis and pain. Often, muscle strain causes the greatest harm to the spine because of spastic contraction of muscle tissue has a strong, traumatic nature. Especially dangerous is the time of tension, because you need as soon as possible to relieve the spasm.

Massages are not worse than drugs relieve spasm. Some methods allow to relax the spine, enhancing the space and stopping the pinched nerve, but it requires constant repetition to full recovery.

Prolonged treatment using drugs of the steroid type of steroids that accumulate in the hearth and have a long analgesic effect, but have a good contra – effect on the immune system and glands of internal secretion.

• Interesting to read: the disease of the lumbosacral

Also treatment include the formulation of the packs to reduce tissue swelling and the development of further damage. In extreme cases it is necessary to resort to surgical intervention in stroke and intervertebral hernias of the large spread. In some cases, the intervertebral discs havereplace with ceramic prostheses.