There are a few common conditions that L5-S1 surgery treats. You may be a candidate for this disc replacement procedure if you live with any of the following spinal problems: Herniated disc with back and leg pain. Disc degeneration: your spinal discs have worn out, broken down, or been pushed out of place.
Surgical Treatments for L5-S1
When the neurological deficits, such as numbness and/or weakness continue to worsen despite several weeks of nonsurgical treatments, surgery may be recommended. Surgery is considered when a structural condition that is known to be responsive to surgical treatment is present.
How serious is a L5-S1 Disc Herniation? Disc herniation is a serious condition that can cause pain, numbness, and weakness. If the herniated disc presses on the spinal cord or nerves, it can cause more severe symptoms such as bowel or bladder control loss, paralysis, or difficulty walking.
Most people with a slipped disc in the lumbar region of their spine (lower back) are offered “conservative” treatment, meaning that the treatment does not involve surgery. This mainly involves exercise, relaxation and positioning, painkillers or local anesthetics, and manual and physical therapy.
Often you can relieve a herniated disk with rest, pain relievers, and physical therapy. But if your symptoms don't get better after a few months, surgery may be an option. It can improve your pain faster than other treatments, but it can have side effects.
Absolutely! The surgery involves cutting through important muscles, ligaments, and tendons to access the targeted disc. The disc is then removed and the area is packed with bone and often times a spacer. To stabilize the spine, screws are placed into the spinal bones above and then below the disc that is removed.
Why L5-S1 Disc Replacement is Successful. There is good news for patients about to undergo an L5-S1 disc replacement procedure: this operation has a high success rate. In a study of 946 patients who went through lumbar total disc replacement, satisfaction rates ranged from 75.5% to 93.3%.
Avoid activities that require frequent twisting and bending, such as golfing or gardening, or even handling heavy objects at work without employing proper lifting techniques.
Recovery from back pain related to L3-L4, L4-L5, or L5-S1 requires focused conservative treatments that fix and repair the injured or damaged areas. The best treatment for back pain and pain related to L5-S1 is a combination of physiotherapy with chiropractic.
This process is absolutely normal and is a part of aging and happens with everyone. L5-S1 bulging discs are most common as they take the stress and weight of the body. The symptoms experienced in the lower back can be terribly painful.
Common Symptoms and Signs Stemming from L5-S1
Typically, a dull ache or sharp pain may be felt in the lower back. Discogenic pain is typically worsened by prolonged sitting, standing in one place, and repetitive lifting and bending activities.
What is The Success Rate for L4-L5 Spinal Fusion? The estimated success rate of lumbar spinal fusion is 70% to 90%. This rate can vary depending on the condition that the procedure's used to treat.
Your Recovery
It may take 4 to 6 weeks to get back to doing simple activities, such as light housework. It may take 6 months to a year for your back to get better completely.
Symptomatic lumbar disc herniations are short-lived, and studies have shown that 85 to 90% of the cases will resolve within 6 to 12 weeks and without substantial medical intervention. However, if symptomatic for more than six weeks, patients are less likely to improve without intervention.
The most common levels for a herniated disc are L4-5 and L5-S1. The onset of symptoms is characterized by a sharp, burning, stabbing pain radiating down the posterior or lateral aspect of the leg, to below the knee. Pain is generally superficial and localized, and is often associated with numbness or tingling.
As an example, an injury to the S1 nerve at the spinal level L5-S1 where a disc herniation typically occurs to injure the nerve means that this nerve needs to grow down the sheath more than two feet. That translates to 24 months at one inch a month.
The optimal sleeping position for a herniated disc is on your back. Lying on your back keeps your spine in a neutral position so you have less chance of pinching the nerve. For added comfort, nestle a small pillow or rolled-up towel under your knees and lower back.
1) Side-lying position: This sleeping position is achieved by lying on your side with a pillow between your legs. It will help keep your spine aligned and take pressure off your herniated disc. 2) Back-lying position: When you sleep on your back, using a pillow under your knees is vital to keep your spine in alignment.
The L5 nerve is involved with many muscles associated with gait. Most of these muscles are associated with the swing phase of gait. What is interesting is that this nerve innervates (supplies) many different muscles but generally, not all muscles that are connected to this nerve are weakened by an L5 nerve injury.
Pain that is persistent and progressive. If the pain caused by a back condition lingers beyond a few months and/or appears to be getting progressively worse. Numbness, tingling, weakness. Numbness, tingling, and/or weakness felt in areas such as the arms or legs are often caused by compressed nerves in the spine.
As you might imagine, there is no specific age cutoff for whether or not a surgeon will move forward with a procedure, but there are a number of factors that play into the decision to operate. Below, we take a closer look at when a person may be too old to undergo spine surgery.
The best sleeping position to reduce your back pain after surgery is either on your back with your knees bent and a pillow under your knees or on your side with your knees bent and a pillow between your legs.