Lumboischialgia

Synonyms

sciatica, sciatica, back-leg pain, radiculopathy, nerve root pain, back pain

Definition

Lumboischialgia is not a diagnosis of disease, but the description of a decisive and groundbreaking sign of the disease, the back pain that is transmitted into the leg

Conceptuality

Lumboischialgia is composed of the terms lumbalgia = back pain in the lumbar spine and sciatica = leg pain transmitted via the sciatic nerves.

  • Back pain of the lumbar spine
  • Sciatic Nerve

Causes of lumboischialgia

The most common cause of lumboischialgia is a protrusion of the intervertebral disc and thus compression of the nerve root. A distinction is made between a complete herniated disc (disc prolapse) and a protrusion of the disc (protrusion). In this case, the intervertebral disc only bulges slightly into the spinal canal and can easily compress the nerves there, which then leads to nerve pain in the back.

The intervertebral discs themselves lie like “shock absorbers” between the individual vertebral bodies and can slip out of the intervertebral space and cause pain when bent forward or under increased pressure. The reason for this is usually pre-damaged or degenerated vertebral bodies due to long periods of heavy strain on the spine, old age or osteoporosis. Such a herniated disc occurs most frequently in the lower lumbar region between L4/5 or L5/S1 and can therefore occur in the coccyx.

If this herniated disc occurs in the area of the sciatic nerve, it causes not only severe pain in the lower back, but also pain and numbness in the legs. But also muscular tensions can cause pain in the sense of lumboischialgia due to an incorrect posture. In this case, however, there should be no neurological deficits, and a different therapy would also be indicated.

Blockages of the vertebral bodies or masses in the area of the spine can also cause severe pain. These can be bone tumors, but also harmless bony excrescences (osteophytes). These can grow from the vertebral bodies towards the spinal canal and constrict it. Nerve inflammations or a herpes zoster infection can also cause pain in the form of lumboischialgia. Similarly, inflammation of the surrounding tissue or abscesses can trigger pain by irritating the nerves located in the spinal canal.