Lumbar Discopathy Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

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Robert Johnston
Lumbar Discopathy Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

The lumbar discopathy It is a multiple pathological abnormal condition in the lumbar disc. It is common in the elderly and can occur from a variety of disorders that cause low back pain in people; These include internal disc disruption, degenerative disc disease, and segmental instability..

The progressive deterioration of one or more discs of the lower lumbar segment generates an approach between the vertebral bodies, causing the vertebral joints to not be able to fulfill their functions harmoniously, causing lumbar or sciatic pain if any of the roots of the nerve are visible. trapped.

Despite being more common in older people, cases can begin to be seen from the age of twenty. It can become so common that it is reported as responsible for the majority of work disabilities worldwide.

Predisposing factors such as occupational exposure (work with considerable physical stress for a long time) or genetic diseases are the main contributors to the early development of this pathology. Lumbar discopathy cases are not difficult to treat; mostly, with proper treatment, they resolve in about six weeks.

Article index

  • 1 Symptoms
    • 1.1 Pain and tenderness
    • 1.2 Tingling
    • 1.3 Stiffness
  • 2 Causes
    • 2.1 Dehydration
    • 2.2 Genetic
    • 2.3 Lifestyle
  • 3 Treatments
    • 3.1 Medications
    • 3.2 Heat and ice
    • 3.3 Physical therapy
    • 3.4 Steroids
    • 3.5 Surgery
  • 4 References

Symptoms

Pain and tenderness

The most common description of the symptoms is usually a tolerable and continuous pain in the lumbar area of ​​the affected person; pain levels can escalate over the days from mild to severe. Discomfort may extend to the buttocks, groin, and upper thighs.

Back pain can often intensify in episodes, temporarily reducing mobility, escalating from mild to severe; after several days or weeks it returns to its original pain levels. This occurs when the spine tries to stabilize itself as the disc continues to degenerate..

The lower back can become highly sensitive to touch, caused by inflammation and muscle tension..

The person with lumbar discopathy may have leg pain, weakness, and numbness, as well as episodes of sharp, stabbing pain that can extend to the buttocks and hips..

Generally, the pain does not go below the knees. The motor-acting nerve roots are found in the anterior aspect of the spinal cord; therefore, it is very rare for herniated discs to compress and affect these fibers and peripheral motor function..

Tingle

In severe cases, compression of the posterior nerve roots can significantly alter sensory function, altering discriminative fine touch and causing tingling in the lower extremities..

Rigidity

For the affected person it is often difficult to sit in the same position for a long time, causing stiffness and severe low back pain. This can often change when getting up, changing positions, or taking short walks, helping to relieve stiffness..

Twisting the spine or leaning forward or backward can cause intense, throbbing pain in the person.

Causes

Lumbar discopathy is a fairly common condition, especially in working ages, and it can be attributed to a traumatic event that triggered the pain; however, there are more causes that can lead to lumbar disc disease:

Dehydration

When the lumbar disc is born, these are composed of water, which is essential for the management of the intervertebral disc of axial loads.

Over the years, it is common for some of this water to be lost and they become thinner, making it extremely difficult to absorb shock. Damping properties are lost, which can cause all kinds of pain in the affected person's back..

Genetic

Several studies show an obvious degeneration of the lumbar disc in cases of people with twins.

Lifestyle

Studies have shown a modest relationship between smoking and disc degeneration, suggesting an important role for nicotine in disc degeneration, possibly causing impaired blood flow to the disc..

Daily movement can gradually wear down the lumbar disc, especially in jobs that use force to lift objects.

Over the years, stress and small accumulated injuries can generate small cracks in the external wall. These cracks can cause great pain, especially while they are at the level of the nerves.

Treatments

Depending on the symptoms and severity of the condition, a personalized treatment plan will be made for the person. Treatment may include the following:

Medicines

Pain relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen help relieve inflammation that causes pain, discomfort, and stiffness caused by lumbar disc disease..

In fact, lumbar discopathy is one of the leading causes of non-steroidal oral analgesic abuse in developed world countries..

This represents a public health problem in these nations, as excessive consumption of these drugs has been shown to increase the incidence of high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, and kidney disease. This is why it is important to find curative treatment for these patients..

Heat and ice

Heat applied to the lower back helps improve circulation, reducing muscle spasms and tension, and improving mobility. Ice packs can reduce inflammation and numb mild pain.

Before participating in any type of physical activity, it is advisable to apply heat to the lower back to relax the muscles. At the end of physical activity, it is recommended to apply ice to minimize inflammation.

Physical therapy

Certain movements can strengthen and make your neck and back muscles more flexible. Chiropractic care is recommended to reduce pain.

Receiving massage therapy can also reduce tension and spasms in your lower back muscles..

Steroids

A steroid injection can calm inflation and reduce spinal pain.

Surgery

In more extreme cases, the solution could be to apply a discectomy, a procedure that removes the injured part of the disc. You could even remove the disk in its entirety, to be replaced by an artificial one.

References

  1. Hashim W. Khan, (2018), Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease Symptoms, Spine Health: spine-health.com
  2. Lumbar Degenerative Discopathy, (2011), Son Llátzer Hospital: hsll.es
  3. What Is Degenerative Disk Disease ?, S.f, Web MD: webmd.com
  4. Rajeev K Patel; Curtis W Slipman, (2016), Lumbar Degenerative Disk Disease Clinical Presentation, Med Scape: emedicine.medscape.com
  5. Evelyn Lazarz, S.f, HOW TO TREAT LUMBAR DISCOPATHY, Dbamo Krego: dbamokregoslup.pl
  6. Andrew A Sama; Frank P Cammisa; Darren R Lebl; Alexander P Hughes, (2012), Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease: Current and Future Concepts of Diagnosis and Management, Research Gate: researchgate.net
  7. Héctor Jairo Umaña Giraldo, Carlos Daniel Henao Zuluaga, Carolina Castillo Berrío, (2010), Semiology of lumbar pain: dialnet.unirioja.es

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