Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Specific Symptoms Associated With A Lumbar Radiculopathy

Pressure on nerve roots L1-L3 are often associated with pain above the knee. Also one may have decreased sensation in the anterior thigh.

The pressure and radiculopathy most commonly affects the L4, L5, and S1 nerve root levels.

Someone with pressure at the L4 level most often have weakness in the quadriceps muscle, pain in the low back and or front of the leg, and a decreased knee (patellar) reflex.

An individual with L5 symptomatology often has pain in the low back and or pain on the side of the leg, as well as a decreased medial hamstring reflex, weakness of the antherior lower leg muscles, and sometimes sensory loss on the outer calf.

S1 radiculopathy often creates pain in the low back, and or pain down the back of the leg or pain in the foot. The Achilles reflex may also be affected as well as sensation on the lateral foot and calf muscle strength.

Symptoms other than pain may include numbness and tingling, or burning pain. Also, most symptoms usually occur on one side of the body as the left nerve roots exit the spine on the left side of the low back and the right nerve roots exit on the right side. Sometimes pressure can be more central creating irritation to both nerve roots. This will often give bilateral symptoms.

One must keep in mind that depending on which nerve fibers have pressure on them and how severe that pressure is often determines your symptoms. If symptoms persist or get worse, see a professional right away.

If you have specific questions about a lumbar radiculopathy or sciatica or have tried various treatments with no real success, call our office at 860-633-8756 to find out if we may be able to help.

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