Some are trained in Neuroimaging, and can go over your imaging studies, like X-Rays and MRI’s with you. In addition, they look at your “electrical system” byusing EMG testing to assess the injury to nerves,and whether that injury is reversible in the short and long term. Since the spinal column and lower back are connected to highly sensitive nerves, neurological conditions can easily arise in the lower back.
Direct pressure on the spinal cord also compresses the sciatic nerve, as well as tight muscles from the buttocks and upper thigh. There are several causes of spinal stenosis, including aging, osteoarthritis, and a herniated disc. Spine surgeon-reviewed article explaining in clear language what could be causing your back pain or neck pain. Spinal stenosis has been referred to as the gray hair of the spine, meaning it’s often an age-related and gradual process of physical change. It may take time for the symptoms of cervical or lumbar spinal stenosis to become apparent. If you have neck or low back pain and symptoms that persist or worsen, talk with your doctor.
Spinal fusion may result in some loss of flexibility in the spine and requires a long recovery period to allow the bone grafts to grow and fuse the vertebrae together. Spinal fusion has been associated with an acceleration of disc degeneration at adjacent levels of the spine. Nucleoplasty, also called plasma disc decompression , is a type of laser surgery that uses radiofrequency energy to treat people with low back pain associated with mildly herniated discs. A plasma laser device is then inserted into the needle and the tip is heated to degrees Celsius, creating a field that vaporizes the tissue in the disc, reducing its size and relieving pressure on the nerves.
Spinal nerves that branch out of the lumbar spine control function in the lower extremities . For example, weakness while straightening the leg could indicate a pinched nerve at the L3-4 level. Other potentially affected muscles include the quadriceps, tibialis anterior, and flexors of the foot. Symptoms may also include neurogenic claudication, a nerve-related pain that increases with walking and improves with rest. These typically occur unilaterally, only on one side of the body, and the specific location of the symptom will vary based on the nerve being compressed.
These nerves supply sensation to the torso and motor strength to the intercostal and abdominal muscles. Symptoms of pinched nerves typically unilateral, or only occurring on one side of the body. The symptoms of pinched nerves range from nonexistent to severe and debilitating. This can depend on the location of the pinched neck injury neurology expert witness nerve, amount of compression, and cause of the pinched nerve. Pinched nerves occur most frequently in the cervical and lumbar spine due to their range of motion, but more frequently affects the latter. This can result in compression of the nerve root as it exits from the spinal cord and through the vertebral bones.
The doctor will ask about the usual signs and symptoms of infection, especially when back pain is accompanied by fever and/or chills. Dialysis patients, IV drug users, and patients who have recently had surgery, trauma, or skin infections are at risk for infections of the spine. Infections of the spine can be caused by a number of agents, most commonly bacteria. Doctors will first test for the presence of bacteria, then give antibiotics. During the physical exam, the doctor may ask the patient to move in certain ways to determine the area affected.