Lower back pain with sciatica is a common symptom associated with many diseases of the lumbosacral spine, such as herniated intervertebral disc and degenerative disc diseases and can result in functional disability. One of the major causes of this symptom is a narrowing of the intervertebral foramen accompanied by compression of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG)
There is a nerve that passes from the spinal canal through an opening in the back of the L5-S1 segment and runs down the back of each leg (as part of the large sciatic nerve). This nerve is called the L5 nerve root. It can lead to leg pain (sciatica) if any structure presses against it or if the highly inflammatory proteins from the inner portion of the disc leak out and touch it.
Here at Inner Chi, we utilize low level laser therapy because it can provide lasting pain relief by targeting not only the blood, but the tissues surrounding the disc for faster repair. Irradiating the disc with light directly accelerates collagen production, one of the main materials of the annulus fibrosis. The photo biomodulation of the laser increases stem cells and myosatellite cells which help repair damaged muscle tissue as well as nerve cells to help nerve regeneration in cases of nerve compression by the disc. Inflammation and swelling are also decreased by the laser.
Last week I had a patient who presented classic sciatic symptoms with right leg pain running down the posterior and lateral aspect of the leg. There was weakness and ongoing paraesthesia in his right foot and outer three toes. The CT scan showed L5-S1 disc extrusion which resulted in severe right-sided central canal stenosis. We are now on the fourth treatment and the patient has noted reduced pain and muscle stiffness around the lower back and piriformis muscle. Due to the lower back tightness being reduced he has noticed increased stability when transitioning from sit to stand.
Here are some successful studies showing the effectiveness of LLT for spinal disc herniations:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3882355/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12605431
Who do you know who suffers from a disc herniation? I would be glad to offer them a 15 minute free phone consult to go over their history and see if we can help in any way.
