09 Dec 2022   |  Amber

How common is Bilateral Lumbosacral Radiculopathy?

Bilateral lumbosacral radiculopathy is not as common as back pain reported by the general population. It is noted with an incidence of 3% to 5%. Compression or irritation of nerve roots in the lower back is described as lumbosacral radiculopathy.

Radiculopathy has a most common reason which is the narrowing of the space where nerve roots exit the spine which results from stenosis, bone spurs, disc herniation, or other conditions. Lumbosacral radiculopathy is treatable with nonsurgical procedures but some patients can go for minimally invasive surgery.

Bilateral lumbosacral radiculopathy causes irritation or inflammation of nerve roots in the lower back. The symptoms spread out from the back to one or both legs.


Spine anatomy

Can lumbosacral radiculopathy be threatening?

It is important to recognize your symptoms as soon as possible and get started with the treatment procedure. Because delay in the treatment and avoiding it for a longer period of time can be a serious issue. Leaving it untreated can create a serious risk that is symptoms becoming permanent or in the worst case scenario can be paralyzed (in severe case). Though the condition of paralysis is extremely rare it is advised to start the precautionary treatment as early as possible after diagnosing your symptoms.

Whenever you are facing the symptoms of lumbosacral radiculopathy and want to get a diagnosis to rectify the problems, come to Dallas Back Clinics for the examination.


Shoulder pain

Causes of Lumbosacral Radiculopathy

The condition of pain in your back traveling to your both legs is also referred to as sciatica (pain that travels down to the sciatica nerve).

  • Aging :- Getting aged with time and suffering from age-related issue is normal. Lumbosacral radiculopathy is also among those issues.
  • Injury :- In our daily activities one can not avoid injuries permanently. Radiculopathy can also occur due to injury in the back.
  • Poor posture :- In the era of information technology, people used to spend most of their time on screen and while doing that they tend to take uncomfortable positions for long hours, this can lead to stressing nerves in the back and causes pain.
  • Extra body weight :- Continuously putting weight on, can create unnecessary pressure on the nerves in the back. Excessive weight can damage the disc near the lumbar spine and then start pressing on the nerve roots.
  • Herniated disc :- Slipped or ruptured disc due to losing of rubbery cushion between the discs. This causes pain in the neck, back, and legs.

Pinched nerve

How common is radiculopathy?

Radiculopathy is not as common as other pains. Neck pain, and back pain, are among the most common pain. Radiculopathy rarely causes these pains. It can be painful depending on the severity and type of radiculopathy. It can usually affect anyone but it is more common in people above 50 years.

Though it is not that common, the pain can be reduced or settled with proper medication and surgery (if required). To get the medication refer to Dallas Back Clinics.

Symptoms of Lumbosacral Radiculopathy

  • Sharp pain in the back, arm, legs, shoulders.
  • Weak reflexes in arms and legs.
  • Pain in the buttock or hip area.
  • Pain intensity can be mild to severe depending on the type of radiculopathy.
  • Difficulty in walking or weakened muscles.
  • Numbness in legs.
  • Burning sensation and foot numbness.
  • Tingling feeling.

These symptoms depend on the type of radiculopathy a patient is having. For example :-

  • Cervical radiculopathy :- Common term for this is “pinched nerve”, which happens when the nerve in the neck is irritated or compressed where it is separating out from the spinal cord. Pain can be felt from the shoulders to the arms.
  • Thoracic radiculopathy :- Compressed nerve root in the thoracic area of the spine (upper back). The location is not as common as in another type of radiculopathy. The symptoms often follow a dermatomal distribution and can cause pain and numbness that wraps around the front of your body.
  • Lumbar radiculopathy :- This happens when the pain from the sciatica nerve (back) travels to one or both of the legs. Generally, sciatica affects only one side of the body but only in the case of bilateral lumbar radiculopathy, it can spread to the back of both legs.

Contact Dallas Back Clinics and get the examination done for Bilateral Lumbar Radiculopathy in the easiest way possible. To book an appointment call us at 469-833-2927.