Pain by Location
As the name implies, a pinched lumbar nerve occurs in the lumbar region of the spine. Below is a guideline of the most common symptoms felt from a pinched lumbar nerve.
Pinched nerve at L5 – The L5 nerve controls the muscles that raise the foot and big toe, and consequently, impingement of this nerve may lead to the weakening of these muscles.
Pinched nerve at S1 – Impingement of the S1 nerve can lead to weakness with the large gastronemius muscle in the back of the calf, causing difficulty with foot push off. Numbness for the S1 nerve runs on the outside of the foot. Pain will be in the lower back running to the buttocks, down the back of the thigh and calf, to the lateral aspect of the foot (the little toe).
A superior anterolateral view ( left side) of a segment of the spinal cord showing its position within the vertebral column, its meningeal layers and its distribution of gray and white matter.
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 and 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).
Our Treatments
The Laser Spine Institute offers minimally invasive treatment to correct the underlying cause of a pinched nerve. A Percutaneous Endoscopic Discectomy, Foraminotomy or Laminotomy are performed to free the pinched nerve allowing blood and nutrients to flow to the affected area again. The award winning spine surgeons at LSI have performed these procedures hundreds of times.
At LSI the staff prides itself on providing “Above and Beyond” service to everyone who walks through the doors. Read a few of our testimonials from previous patients to see what kind of an impact we have had on their lives.
Few people wish to undergo surgery with general anesthesia, long hospital stays, and painful recoveries. At LSI we truly understand this which is why we provide an alternative through minimally invasive, outpatient surgical options. On average, from start to finish, our process takes just 5 days. Find out more information on our incredible 5 day process and see how we can give you your life back.
If you still have a few questions, or would like to know how we can help you, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to assist you in any way we can.
