Spine-Pain

The following is an excerpt from ‘Sciatica Solutions Diagnosis, Treatment, and Cure of Spinal and Piriformis Problems’ the book by Loren Fishman, MD and Carol Ardman

Nerve Damage and Nerve Regrowth

There are three types of nerve damage that can be identified with an EMG or an SSEP, and the nerves have different possibilites for regrowth and recovery.

Sometimes the nerve is just compressed or stretched and temporarily put out of commission, and in time it repairs itself and conducts impulses normally again. It’s called neuropraxia. If neuropraxia is present, stimulating the nerve won’t get the muscle to react perfectly, or send a full volley of sensory signals toward the brain at normal speed. But the nerve fiber is still alive. A patient with neuropraxia can usually expect a complete recovery without treatment in one week to three months.

The second kind of damage occurs when the nerve itself is severed inside its protective, fatty sheath, but the sheath remains intact. The nerve fiber will eventually regenerate. Characteristic signals of axonotmesis–the severing of the little nerve fiber in the middle of the sheath–appear on the EMG. The normal regrowth is about an inch a month.

The third, more serious type of damage is where the sheath surrounding the fiber and the fiber itself have been severed and the fiber itself have been severed–cut in tow. When this happens, of course there is no conduction of impulses along the nerve. In this case regrowth is problematical.

Measuring regeneration of injured nerve fibers with an EMG helps predict future recovery.

Sciatica is a pain in the leg due to irritation of the sciatic nerve. The pain generally goes from the back of the thigh to the back of the calf, and may also extend upward to the hip and down to the foot. In addition to pain, there may be numbness and difficulty moving or controlling the leg. Typically, the symptoms are only felt on one side.

http://goldbamboo.com/topic-t2964-a1-6Sciatica.html

Sciatica, denoting the pain experienced, is usually experienced as pain which originates in the low back and then radiates through the buttock on one side, down the corresponding thigh and continues below the knee, often into the calf or the foot.

Sciatica is often accompanied by other symptoms of lumbar radiculopathy, those being numbness, tingling, and weakness in the same distribution. Radiculopathy denotes neurological symptoms corresponding to a nerve root, in this case one or more of the lumbar(lower back) nerve roots.

You can have a herniated disk without knowing it — herniated or bulging disks sometimes show up on spinal images of people who have no symptoms of a disk problem. But some herniated disks can be painful. The most common signs and symptoms of a herniated disk are:

Sciatica — a radiating, aching pain, sometimes with tingling and numbness, that starts in the buttock and extends down the back of one leg

Pain, numbness or weakness in the lower back and one leg, or in the neck, shoulder, chest or arm

Low back pain that worsens when you sit, cough or sneeze

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00893.html

Lumbar Herniated Disc / Sciatica

Pain along the large sciatic nerve that runs from the lower back down through the buttocks and along the back of each leg – is a relatively common form of back pain. Sciatica is usually caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve from a herniated disc (also referred to as a bulging disc, ruptured disc or pinched nerve). The problem is often diagnosed as a “radiculopathy”, meaning that a disc has protruded from its normal position in the vertebral column and is putting pressure on the radicular nerve (nerve root).
• spreads down one or both legs
• Burning or tingling down the legs
• Weakness, numbness, or tingling in one or both legs and feet

Any condition that causes irritation or impingement on the sciatic nerve can cause the pain associated with sciatica. The most common cause is lumbar herniated disc. Other common causes include lumbar spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, or isthmic spondylolisthesis.

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Sciatica and Lumbar Radiculopathy

Sciatica is pain which is due to inflammation of the sciatic nerve or its branches. The sciatic nerve is composed of nerves which originate from the lumbar nerve roots, usually L3, L4, and L5. Sciatica usually results from disc disease involving a disc in the L3-4, L4-5, or L5-S1 interspace. Sciatica, denoting the pain experienced, is usually experienced as pain which originates in the low back and then radiates through the buttock on one side, down the corresponding thigh and continues below the knee, often into the calf or the foot.

Sciatica is often accompanied by other symptoms of lumbar radiculopathy, those being numbness, tingling, and weakness in the same distribution. Radiculopathy denotes neurological symptoms corresponding to a nerve root, in this case one or more of the lumbar(lower back) nerve roots.

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Pinched nerves at L3, L4 and L5 - The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. It starts in the low back at lumbar segment 3 (L3). The sciatic nerve roots run through the bony canal, and at each level in the lower back a pair of nerve roots exits from the spine.  The nerve is named for the upper vertebral body that it runs between (for example, the nerve that exits at L4-L5 is named L4). The nerve passing to the next level runs over a weak spot in the disc space, which is the reason discs tend to herniate (extrude) right under the sciatic nerve root and can cause sciatica. The sciatica symptoms (low back pain, leg pain, numbness, tingling, weakness) are different depending on where the pressure on the nerve occurs. For example, a lumbar segment 5 (L5) nerve impingement can cause weakness in extension of the big toe and potentially in the ankle (foot drop).

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Sciatica, denoting the pain experienced, is usually experienced as pain which originates in the low back and then radiates through the buttock on one side, down the corresponding thigh and continues below the knee, often into the calf or the foot.

Sciatica is often accompanied by other symptoms of lumbar radiculopathy, those being numbness, tingling, and weakness in the same distribution. Radiculopathy denotes neurological symptoms corresponding to a nerve root, in this case one or more of the lumbar(lower back) nerve roots.

You can have a herniated disk without knowing it — herniated or bulging disks sometimes show up on spinal images of people who have no symptoms of a disk problem. But some herniated disks can be painful. The most common signs and symptoms of a herniated disk are:

Sciatica — a radiating, aching pain, sometimes with tingling and numbness, that starts in the buttock and extends down the back of one leg

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00893.html

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Sciatica (Shooting Pain, Nerve Compression, Sciatic Nerve Pain)

In this factsheet: The Facts on Sciatica Causes of Sciatica Symptoms and Complications of Sciatica Diagnosing Sciatica Treating and Preventing Sciatica

http://goldbamboo.com/topic-t2964-a1-6Sciatica.html

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Sciatica is a pain in the leg due to irritation of the sciatic nerve. The pain generally goes from the back of the thigh to the back of the calf, and may also extend upward to the hip and down to the foot. In addition to pain, there may be numbness and difficulty moving or controlling the leg. Typically, the symptoms are only felt on one side.

http://goldbamboo.com/topic-t2964-a1-6Sciatica.html

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