Injuries to the lumbar vertebrae | Lumbar vertebra

Injuries to the lumbar vertebrae

General low back pain refers to pain in the lumbar spine. These can be dull, oppressive or stabbing and, depending on the disease, may radiate into the legs. The pain is aggravated by lack of movement, incorrect sitting or incorrect posture.

Some low back pain is only short-lived because it is caused by an unaccustomed strain, while others are caused by years of wear and tear and do not go away so easily. So if pain is unusually severe or movement is severely restricted, a doctor should be consulted. Lumbago is caused by unusual heavy strain, e.g. when changing the summer tyres of the car.

The pain comes suddenly, unexpectedly and stings in the back. However, the pain never radiates into the leg. A herniated disc in the lumbar spine causes severe pain radiating into the legs (on one or both sides).

There may also be sensations such as tingling or burning or a numbness of the legs, since the prolapsed disc can crush the nerve root. If some symptoms fit you, then In the case of a simple herniated disc, a simple surgery of the herniated disc can relieve the patients from their suffering. However, if there is instability of the affected disc at the same time, an additional surgical stabilization must be performed.

Spondylarthrosis refers to a wear and tear of the lumbar vertebrae that develops slowly over time. The elasticity of the intervertebral discs is lost, causing the intervertebral spaces to lose height and the adjacent lumbar vertebrae to move closer together. If the intervertebral space becomes so small that the facet joints (the articulated connection between the upper and lower articular processes) touch each other, this can lead to severe pain and also pinch off the nerves in the spinal canal.

The quality of life of patients with chronic pain due to signs of wear and tear can be significantly improved with special metal implants and modern surgery. Spondylolisthesis refers to the sliding of the vertebra over the underlying vertebra. This disease can be either congenital or acquired.

Pain occurs repeatedly during the interval and can only be improved by a stabilization operation. A spinal stenosis of the lumbar spine refers to a narrowing of the spinal canal. It is caused by wear and tear of the lumbar vertebrae.

The facet joints rub against each other, which causes them to bulge.Afterwards they thicken and thus narrow the canal. Usually there is also a herniated disc, which additionally narrows the spinal canal. Ultimately, the nerves can only be relieved by surgical correction of the vertebra with additional stabilization. In the case of a vertebral body fracture, surgical stabilization is often achieved by injecting cement. They often occur in older patients suffering from osteoporosis.