Sciatica

ALSO CALLED “LUMBAR RADICULOPATHY”

Some people refer to leg pain radiating from the back as sciatica. This is true if the pain is in the posterior or lateral area of the leg. One of the more common causes of lumbar radiculopathy occurs when a disc—the spongy material that maintains the space between your vertebrae—gets squeezed against the spinal canal or nerves. This pressure on the spinal canal can cause the pain and weakness associated with lumbar radiculopathy.

SYMPTOMS

Lumbar radiculopathy is a term used to describe the symptoms of leg pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness that travel from the low back, down the leg or into the groin. It can range from pain in the buttocks, to pain that shoots all the way down to the foot.

The treatment for lumbar radiculopathy depends on the cause of the symptoms and can range from rest and physical therapy to surgery that relieves the pressure on the nerves or spinal cord.

TREATMENTS

Rest

Anti-Inflammatories

Epidural Injections

Physical Therapy

Microdiscectomy/Decompression >

Lumbar_Radiculopathy-1