Lumbar Radiculopathy

Low back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints seen by clinical professionals. It ranks as one of the primary causes of workplace absences among people aged 45 years and younger, right behind the common cold. Approximately 25 million people miss work due to low back pain, and roughly 5 million people are disabled from it.  There is a wide array of potential causes of low back pain with multiple different diagnoses which includes Lumbar Radiculopathy. Lumbar radiculopathy refers to low back pain that is characterized by compression or irritation of the nerve roots within the lumbar spine. This compression can stem from a multitude of degenerative factors, such as disc herniation, and typically causes low back pain that radiates down into the lower extremity. Additional symptoms can include numbness, weakness, and potential loss of reflexes.

What is Radiculopathy?

Radiculopathy is a clinical term used to describe a predictable collection of symptoms that arise following mechanical or inflammatory trauma to one or more nerve roots. This can include disc herniation, facet hypertrophy, and spondylolisthesis; all of which can lead to compression of any of the lumbosacral nerve roots. This noxious stimulus of a spinal nerve root produces signals that are perceived as pain, numbness, and tingling along the sensory distribution, and weakness along the nerve’s motor distribution if severe enough. The lifetime prevalence rate of low back pain within the general population ranges from 60% to 90%, with 5% to 10% suffering from radiculopathy. This condition constitutes a significant reason to seek out referral to neurologists, neurosurgeons, or orthopedic spine surgeons due to the nature of the degenerative changes. As with any disease, it is essential to understand risk factors which can include smoking, genetics, and repetitive trauma are just a few.

How can PT help?

Physical Therapy can be helpful by assessing for any possible muscular or postural imbalances that could be contributing to the compression of the affected nerve roots. This would be done providing a patient with personalized exercises and stretches to address any deficits and promote postural stability. Physical Therapy can also utilize various modalities, such as traction, and multiple manual therapy techniques to promote pain management and provide a patient with relief.