Print
BlinkList
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
StumbleUpon
Technorati
Examining the structure of the lumbar spine
The last five vertebrae of the spine make up the lumbar section of our spine. The vertebra is a bone in our spine that serves its function by providing support and protection for the spinal cord. These vertebrae are linked through facet joints providing mobile connections. Sitting between each of the vertebra is an intervertebral disc composed of the outer annulus and inner nucleus pulposus. The annulus is the tough exterior ring around the disc, and the nucleus pulposus is the soft inner gel like material.
Throughout the spine there are nerve roots that provide a roll of communication, relaying messages to your extremities and your brain, allowing us to move our legs, and giving us the ability to perceive the many different sensations that we can. The spine is a very complex and complicated part of the body, so when we discuss it, it is most often broken into segments. These segments are composed of a intervertebral disc between two vertebra. On each side of the spinal segment two nerve roots exit through a foramen.
What is Sciatica
If you suffer from shocking pain that shoots from your back or buttocks and into your legs, it is quite possible that you suffer from a back condition called sciatica. Occasionally a health care professional may make reference to radiculopathy, which is the same as sciatica, only dressed with a fancier name. Other possible symptoms of sciatica may include numbness or weakness felt in the leg and possibly into the foot. Sciatica is most often caused when a ruptured lumbar disc places pressure on the sciatic nerve triggering the symptoms of sciatica. Sciatica usually affects people in the age bracket of thirty to fifty and will affect one to two percent of the worlds population.
Although not always the case, often the main cause for ruptured lumbar disc pain occurs when the inner material in the disc pushes out and the nerve nearby becomes pinched or compressed. A ruptured lumbar disc may occur as a result of a sudden traumatic injury to the disc, or it may develop slowly with time. A majority of people who suffer a ruptured disc have already developed the early stages of spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis is a back condition that causes narrowing of the space around the spinal cord and nerve roots. When someone suffering from sciatica develops a ruptured disc the space that has already been significantly reduced, is reduced even further causing irritation to the affected nerve root.
It is commonly agreed that there are four stages to a ruptured lumbar disc
- Disc Degeneration - The disc weakens as it is subjected to chemical changes brought on by the aging process without rupture.
- Prolapse - A disc places pressure on the spinal canal through change in its form or position. Commonly referred to as a protrusion.
- Extrusion - When the discs soft inner material breaks through the tough outer capsule of the disc, but does not separate from the disc.
- Sequestration - This is similar to a disc extrusion but the inner material that breaks through becomes separated from the disc. This is commonly referred to as herniated nucleus pulposus.
Preventing a ruptured lumbar disc
The main cause of a ruptured lumbar disc is aging, and although we can not slow down the aging process, we can adjust our lifestyle to reduce the risk of injuring our backs. The main causes leading to a ruptured lumbar disc include:
- Poor posture and body mechanics
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Weak abdominal muscles
If the above mentioned risk factors apply to you, you may consider a change of lifestyle to avoid years of back pain and uncomfortable ruptured disc treatments.