L3 or L4 symptoms include pain in lower back and /or pain that radiates to the quadriceps in the front of the thigh. L5 symptoms include pain in lower back and/or pain in the outside of lower leg, down to toes, which may include numbness, weakness and tingling.
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.
A L4–L5 disc bulge (or slip-disc) in the L4-L5 region can cause severe health issues such as impotence and reproduction issues. It can also lead to infertility, loss or control of the bowel or bladder, paralysis in one or both of your legs, and even death.
What Nerves Are Affected by L4 and L5? The sciatic nerve is affected by L4 and L5. It encompasses the L4 nerve, L5 nerve, and various sacral nerves. As the largest nerve in the human body, the sciatic nerve extends from the lower back through the back of each leg.
Treatment with rest, pain medication, spinal injections, and physical therapy is the first step to recovery. Most people improve in 6 weeks and return to normal activity. If symptoms continue, surgery may be recommended.
Generally speaking—as long as they're performed correctly—core and back exercises are beneficial for bulging discs, as are activities like walking, elliptical exercise, swimming, and riding a stationary or regular bike.
Severe L4-L5 spondylosis causes intense back pain, weakness in legs, bladder and bowel disorders, erectile dysfunction in males, and female reproductive issues.
The best sleeping position for lower back pain is on your side with a partial bend in the knees. View Source . Keeping the knees bent helps balance the body and reduces pressure on the lumbar spine. Many people find it helpful to put a small pillow between their knees to make this position more comfortable.
Damage to L4 and L5, including spondylolisthesis, can lead to hip pain. This is because the misaligned vertebrae can press on nerves that extend through the hips. When these nerves become irritated, inflamed, or damaged, the patient may experience significant hip and leg pain.
Referred pain from L4-L5 usually stays within the lower back and is typically felt as a dull ache. The back may also feel stiff. Depending on the type and severity of the underlying cause, the L4-L5 motion segment may cause lumbar radicular pain of the L4 and/or L5 spinal nerves, also called sciatica.
A moderate disc bulge will take around 6 weeks to get better but only IF you do the right thing, but may never heal if you keep aggravating it. See your doctor if symptoms don't improve.
Bulges can put pressure on the surrounding nerve roots, leading to pain that radiates down the back and other areas of the body depending on its location within the spinal column. If the symptoms are severe enough and have become chronic, surgery for a bulging disc may be required.
If the repeated forward bending stress continues, or the improper body mechanics continue, very often the inner disc material will continue to push backwards, causing the disc bulge to worsen, to herniate, progressing into the spinal canal and towards the spinal cord.
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.
As a clinical finding, gluteal pain is related to low lumbar disc hernia. The L4/5 level is the main level responsible for gluteal pain in lumbar disc hernia.
Symptoms of an L4-L5 lumbar disc herniation
When a patient has a lumbar hernia at these levels, one of the common symptoms will be sciatica, the pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve that passes through the lower back, through the hips and buttocks, and leads into one of the legs.
Most commonly, it involves the L4 slipping over the L5 vertebra. It most frequently affects people age 50 and older. Symptoms may include pain in the low back, thighs and/or legs, muscle spasms, weakness and/or tight hamstring muscles.
It is proper to sit up straight without slouching. When you slump, you put extra pressure on the discs in the spine and can aggravate your herniated disc. Additionally, you want to ensure your knees are level with your hips. Your hips should be slightly above your knees if you sit at a desk.
If you're experiencing back pain when sitting, your impulse may be to lie down and then try to slowly progress back to sitting, says Dr. Atlas. But this is the wrong approach. You should lie down to relieve the pain, but the goal should be not to return to sitting, but rather to regain your ability to stand and move.
Types of exercise to avoid
Weight lifting exercises that involve this movement can be, for example, bent over rows using dumbbells, deadlifts, squats or lunges. If you're not receiving any treatment for your back pain, it's important to stop doing these exercises until you've sought help.
Herniated disks can protrude and cause GI issues, such as : abdominal pain. diarrhea. constipation.
The sacral plexus is formed by the lumbosacral trunk (L4 and L5) and sacral nerves S1, S2, and S3. The main nerves arising from the sacral plexus are the sciatic, posterior femoral cutaneous, and pudendal nerves. The lower part of the sacral plexus is sometimes referred to as the pudendal plexus.