What does L4 and L5 affect?

L4-L5 intervertebral disc.
This disc provides cushioning and shock-absorbing functions to protect the vertebrae from grinding against each other during spinal movements. The height of the L4-L5 disc plays an important role in maintaining the lordosis (inward curvature) of the lumbar spine.
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What nerves are affected by L4-L5?

The L4 and L5 nerves (along with other sacral nerves) contribute to the formation of the large sciatic nerve that runs down from the rear pelvis into the back of the leg and terminates in the foot.
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What are the symptoms of L4 nerve damage?

3 Telltale Signs of a L4-L5 Slipped Disc
  • Chronic Lower Back Pain. Pain in the lumbar region can mean many things. ...
  • Leg Pain and or Weakness. The leg pain that is often felt with an L4-L5 disc problem in conjunction with or separate from lower back pain is often categorized as sciatica. ...
  • Tingling and Numbness.
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What parts of the body are affected by L4-L5?

Moderate L4-L5 spondylosis cause back pain, pain in the buttocks, hips, thighs, leg, or feet. It may also cause numbness, tingling, or weakness in the leg, feet, or toes.
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What happens when L5 is damaged?

Compression or inflammation of the L5 and/or S1 spinal nerve root may cause radiculopathy symptoms or sciatica, characterized by: Pain, generally felt as a sharp, shooting, and/or searing feeling in the buttock, thigh, leg, foot, and/or toes. Numbness in the foot and/or toes.
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Low Back Pain - Disc Herniation ,Sciatica - Everything You Need To Know - Dr. Nabil Ebraheim



What are the symptoms of L4-L5 nerve damage?

Common symptoms and signs include: Sharp pain, typically felt as a shooting and/or burning feeling that originates in the lower back and travels down the leg in the distribution of a specific nerve, sometimes affecting the foot. Numbness in different parts of the thigh, leg, foot, and/or toes.
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How do you fix L4 and L5?

Surgical Treatments for L4-L5
  1. Microdiscectomy. In this surgery, a small part of the disc material near the nerve root is taken out. ...
  2. Laminectomy. ...
  3. Foraminotomy. ...
  4. Facetectomy. ...
  5. Lumbar artificial disc replacement. ...
  6. Fusion of L4-L5.
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Can L4 cause hip pain?

If a nerve is trapped at L2 or L3 or L4 this will affect the femoral nerve (as seen below) and we suffer from femoral nerve impingement which provides both feeling and power to the front of the thigh. Therefore we experience pain in this specific anatomy.
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Is L4-L5 disc bulge serious?

Most importantly, an L4-L5 disc bulge can lead to prolonged pain and other, more serious conditions like spondylolisthesis if you delay treatment. Spondylolisthesis is a condition in which a vertebra shifts or slips, and can cause significant pain that may require surgery to fix.
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What causes narrowing of L4 and L5?

Spinal stenosis is most commonly caused by wear-and-tear changes in the spine related to osteoarthritis. In severe cases of spinal stenosis, doctors may recommend surgery to create additional space for the spinal cord or nerves.
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How should I sleep with L4 L5 pain?

  1. Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees. Share on Pinterest. ...
  2. Sleep on your side in the fetal position. Share on Pinterest. ...
  3. Sleep on your stomach with a pillow under your abdomen. Share on Pinterest. ...
  4. Sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees. ...
  5. Sleep on your back in a reclined position.
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Can L4 and L5 cause groin pain?

Conclusions: Elderly patients with L4-L5 protruding herniation of the anulus fibrosus were most likely to experience groin pain. The sinuvertebral nerve that innervates the posterior anulus fibrosus, the posterior longitudinal ligament, and the dura was indicated as the afferent nerve of groin pain.
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How do you fix L5 nerve damage?

Common injection treatments for L5-S1 include:
  1. Lumbar epidural steroid injections. Steroids injected directly into the spinal epidural space can help decrease inflammation and reduce the sensitivity of nerve fibers to pain, generating fewer pain signals. ...
  2. Radiofrequency ablation.
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What part of the spine controls the legs?

Sacral region

The lowest part of the spinal cord contains 5 pairs of nerves. These control the thighs, lower legs, and the genital and anal areas. Sacral nerve injury can happen anywhere from the upper lumbar spine down to the sacrum.
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What's worse bulging disc or herniated?

Herniated discs are considered more severe than bulging discs because they put significant pressure on nearby nerves, which can cause intense pain, inflammation and difficulties with movement.
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How do you sleep with l4 L5 disc bulge?

Sleeping on the stomach is typically preferred, as this position can relieve pressure on the disc space. People with degenerative disc disease may feel most comfortable using a relatively firm mattress while placing a flat pillow under the stomach and hips.
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Does weight loss help bulging discs?

Unfortunately, there is no one solution to alleviate back pain. Every case is different. While losing weight may take some pressure off of the pelvis and spine, other damage may have already been done. A herniated disc, for example, may not resume its proper place just because you lose some weight.
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What is L4 L5 degenerative disc disease?

Degenerative disc disease is an age-related condition that happens when one or more of the discs between the vertebrae of the spinal column deteriorates or breaks down, leading to pain. There may be weakness, numbness, and pain that radiates down the leg.
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Why does my groin hurt with sciatica?

Pressure on the nerve can lead to pain in the low back, buttock, groin, or posterior thigh, and it can be a cause of sciatica, with pain, tingling, or numbness along the course of the sciatic nerve. Other nerves and structures in the area may also be impinged (compressed), leading to similar symptoms.
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What disc causes front thigh pain?

L3 or L4 impingement from a herniated disc may lead to an abnormal reflex when the area just below the knee is tapped with the rubberized reflex hammer. This is called the patellar reflex. Pain from an L3 or L4 impingement usually radiates to the quadriceps femoris muscle at the front of the thigh.
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How long does it take to recover from L4 L5 back surgery?

You'll be encouraged to walk and move around the day after surgery and it's likely you'll be discharged 1 to 4 days afterwards. It will take about 4 to 6 weeks for you to reach your expected level of mobility and function (this will depend on the severity of your condition and symptoms before the operation).
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What happens when L4 L5 disc bulge?

A herniated disc at lumbar segment 4 and 5 (L4-L5) usually causes L5 nerve impingement. In addition to sciatica pain, this type of herniated disc can lead to weakness when raising the big toe and possibly in the ankle, also known as foot drop. Numbness and pain can also be felt on top of the foot.
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When should you have disc surgery?

Your doctor might recommend surgery as an option for your herniated disc if: Your symptoms have lasted at least 6 weeks and make it hard to do your normal activities, and other treatments haven't helped. You need to get better quickly because of your job or to get back to your other activities as soon as possible.
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Can L5 S1 cause bowel problems?

Rule out spine issues

Nonetheless, another study noted that L5/S1 herniation can lead to "bowel dysfunction."
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How does spinal stenosis affect walking?

If you have lumbar spinal stenosis, you may have trouble walking distances or find that you need to lean forward to relieve pressure on your lower back. You may also have pain or numbness in your legs. In more severe cases, you may have difficulty controlling your bowel and bladder.
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