L2, L3 and L4 spinal nerves provide sensation to the front part of your thigh and inner side of your lower leg. These nerves also control hip and knee muscle movements.
Both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications are used to help relieve pain from L4-L5. Typically, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are usually tried first. For more severe pain, opioids, tramadol, and/or corticosteroids may be used. Physical therapy.
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.
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.
Yes, it can and most of them do, with proper treatment. The fact is that with treatment, most herniated discs will heal within a few weeks. In extreme cases, it may take a few months. Even surgery cannot put the jelly-like compound of the disc back inside of it.
In the case of an L4-L5 lumbar disc herniation, the lower back pain can radiate to the hip and leg. When you have a herniated disc in the lumbar spine, the pain is not always located in the affected area. In many cases, the patient begins to notice discomfort in areas that are related to each other.
L2, L3, and L4 spinal nerves provide sensation to the front part of the thigh and inner side of the lower leg. These nerves also control movements of the hip and knee muscles.
Test the nerve roots: Straight leg raise test. This stretches nerve roots L4, L5 and S1. Pick the leg up by the ankle. While keeping the knee fully extended, lift the leg up towards ninety degrees or beyond (Figure 2).
Self care: In most cases, the pain from a herniated disc will get better within a couple days and completely resolve in 4 to 6 weeks. Restricting your activity, ice/heat therapy, and taking over the counter medications will help your recovery.
Symptoms if the affected root is L4:
Radiating pain: the pain begins in the lower back and radiates down the inner side of the leg to mid-thigh. Hypoesthesia: Numbness or loss of sensation on the inner side of your leg and foot.
It takes between six months and one year to fully recover from L4-L5 fusion. You may need four to six weeks to return to basic activities around the house after the procedure, and one to two months to return to work.
The 4th lumbar nerve root (L4) is the 3rd most frequently affected nerve and results in pain that radiates through the lateral thigh and the inside of the lower leg. Numbness usually occurs on the outside of the thigh. The thigh muscle can be weak and the knee reflex can be decreased or absent.
The sciatic nerve is the main nerve that branches out from the lower back and travels through the hips, buttocks, and down the legs. In sciatica, the roots of the sciatic nerve running from L4 to S3 become compressed by a herniated disk or narrowing of the spinal canal.
The obturator nerve arises from L2, L3, and L4 spinal nerves. It provides the primary motor supply to the medial (adductor) muscle compartment of the thigh. These muscles include external obturator, adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, gracilis, and pectineus.
“Many people who have pain from a bulging disc will get pain relief with a few days of rest and some anti-inflammatories. Traction, physical therapy, and epidural steroid injections can be beneficial as well.”
Sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees
Lay flat on your back. Place a pillow underneath your knees and keep your spine neutral. The pillow is important — it works to keep that curve in your lower back. You may also place a small, rolled up towel under the small of your back for added support.
L4 Spinal Cord Injury
L4 spinal nerves affect sensation at the front and inner regions of the lower legs. The ability to lift the foot upwards (ankle dorsiflexion) is primarily tested to determine whether this level of the spinal cord has been injured.
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.
One of the most effective treatments for treating lumbar spinal stenosis is a procedure called laminectomy. This treatment removes part of the vertebra that's putting pressure on your nerve.
Heat and Cold Therapy
Heat and cold therapy are ideal treatments to improve back pain from a pinched nerve. In general, if your pain is recent, you may want to apply an ice pack or cold compress for pain relief. Ice therapy can prevent excess inflammation and swelling.
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.
Background: Groin pain can be induced by high-level (L1-L2 or L2-L3) lumbar disc herniation. However, 4.1% of patients with lower-level (L4-L5 or L5-S1) lumbar disc herniation also complained of groin pain.