Treatment Options for Lumbar Radiculopathy: Our Guide
Lumbar radiculopathy can be a frustrating condition to deal with. We at Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants are here for you and we want to be able to provide you with the right solutions which could help restore your health and wellbeing. Read on to learn more about the various treatment options we have to help you overcome your lumbar radiculopathy.
What is Lumbar Radiculopathy?
Lumbar radiculopathy is when there’s a pinching of the nerve root in the spinal column. This condition may lead to what’s more commonly known as sciatica in many individuals. The sciatica nerve is the single largest nerve in the human body. Lumbar radiculopathy is typically generated from the following:
•DDD (Degenerative Disc Disease)
•Bone Spurs
•Spinal Stenosis
•Spinal Tumor
•Spinal Trauma
•Back Injury
•Diabetes
Symptoms of Lumbar Radiculopathy
The following are some of the most common symptoms of lumbar radiculopathy:
•Near-constant, or constant pain in one side of the buttock or leg
•Weakness, numbness, or difficulty moving your leg, foot, or toes
•Pain which worsens when standing or sitting, especially during prolonged periods
Risk factors of Lumbar Radiculopathy:
•Age (30 – 50 years old)
•Obesity
•Jobs where prolonged sitting occurs
•The act of sitting itself
•Tobacco use
•Diabetes
•Genetic factors
Lumbar Radiculopathy Treatment Options for You
Let’s explore some of the lumbar radiculopathy treatment options we can provide to you
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy helps identify the weak areas of your body which require training and further strengthen those areas to better suit your lifestyle and activity levels. Our team of physical therapists work with your unique lumbar radiculopathy diagnosis to best improve your state of wellbeing to the maximum levels possible. Physical therapy takes time, effort, and commitment; yet if you fully embrace all aspects of our physical therapy program, you’ll most likely find immensely positive outcomes to occur.
OTC Pain Medications
Over-the-Counter pain medications are a great temporary solution if you have a particularly painful flare up and need fast acting inflammation reduction. If you have ready access to your preferred OTC pain medication, you’ll then be able to counteract the pain at a moment’s notice to better manage flare ups as they occur during your treatment process.
Pain Management Strategies & Solutions
We offer many pain management strategies and solutions for your lumbar radiculopathy. These strategies and solutions consist of everything from steroid injections, to nerve root blocks. Our in-house pain management physician, Dr. Michael Cohen, is the expert provider you can count on to ensure your pain is managed effectively and efficiently.
Activity Modifications
If you find certain activities exacerbate your lumbar radiculopathy, you may want to take a break from said activities and make some lifestyle adjustments. Giving your body time to relax, rest, and recover is crucial to any proper treatment plan involving lumbar radiculopathy. If your body is in a constant state of irritation, you run the risk of never being able to make a full recovery. We all need rest from time to time. Give your body the chance it needs to heal.
Adhering to a Healthy Diet
Consuming whole, real foods as your primary source of nutrition is crucial to promoting greater level of inner well being. You can’t expect to recover quickly if you’re lonely eating ultra highly-processed foods with little to no real nutritional value. You must adhere to a whole food, natural, high-protein diet to see results during the rehabilitation and recovery process.
Meditation
Meditation can be a great way to reduce stress and promote overall wellness form within.Our daily stressors add up over time, and if we’re not careful those same daily stressors may end up popping up throughout our body in weird ways; sometimes in the form of painful conditions such as lumbar radiculopathy. Controlling your thoughts, emotions, and mental headspace with the help of meditation can allow you to work on what may be causing you stress each and every day. From here, incorporating strategies to better manage said stress will likely help you recover that much faster from your lumbar radiculopathy condition.
Weight Loss
If you’re overweight, especially if you’re severely overweight or morbidly obese, you’ll need to lose weight to better manage your lumbar radiculopathy condition. Being overweight only adds more problems to our body’s frame, muscles, and functionality. It’s never too late to turn things around. Just because you weigh a certain amount today does not mean you can’t lose weight and maintain a healthy weight in the near future. It’s all about committing to a plan and seeing the plane through. If you’re obese, losing weight will likely result in a number of other health benefits as well.
Lumbar Radiculopathy Surgery
Lumbar radiculopathy surgery is a last resort option which we won’t recommend unless we deem it absolutely necessary. We always approach health matters here at Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants with a very conservative level of care. We always explore every available option to best treat our patients with either non-invasive, or very minimally invasive treatments.
Choosing Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants for Your Lumbar Radiculopathy
If you’re struggling with lumbar radiculopathy in San Antonio, and you want to see improvements; you’ll want to contact us using the form below. We look forward to hearing from you soon and we’re eager to begin treating your lumbar radiculopathy condition today so you can be a healthier, happier version of yourself.
DISCLAIMER: No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.