We already know a little about the lumbar spine, We know that it is the lower part of the back and that on many occasions problems can arise in that place thanks to excessive forces or accidents that involve blows., while in other cases it may simply be due to the advance of time and age; the thing is that these two sections or segments are actually the L4 and L5 vertebrae, which are the two lowest of our back and lumbar spine.
This vertebrae attached to the attached disc, to the nerves, soft tissues and joints, They provide us with a wide variety of functions that we need on a daily basis., such as being able to move in different directions and of course the support of the upper part of our body and its weight.
Index
The overload of this segment
The segment that is made up of these two vertebrae, the L4 and L5 is commonly prone to developing some type of injury or pain, since it is the one that supports the most heavy load and has a lower flexibility range.
The most common problems that can occur are for example that the L4 vertebra slips forward sometimes, until impacting on the nerve root of the L5 vertebra and that is where it causes a sharp pain in the legs known as sciatica the cause low back pain. Also the L4-L5 disc is quite prone to having a hernia or to be generated over time, because it is precisely between the L4 and L5 vertebrae; this can also cause low back pain or sciatica.
Another fairly common problem is that sectarian joints, which are the ones on the back of the spine and that connect to these two specific vertebrae as well, they can at some point allow more movement than normal between the vertebrae and that can gradually develop osteoarthritis.
There is also a nerve at the back of this segment made up of the L4-L5 vertebrae and which in turn passes through the segment, Sometimes it happens that some inflammatory protein leaks from the inside of a herniated disc and when it comes into contact with this nerve it can generate sciatica pain again..
Cause of pain and treatment
In the vast majority of cases, what causes pain in this L4-L5 segment of the spine is a herniated disc, is the segment in which it is most common to occur, this and sector L5-S1, thanks to the fact that in these segments of the spine is where the greatest amount of weight and its range of movement is supported. It can also be due to degenerative lumbar disc diseases or spondylolisthesis.
Treatment for the vast majority of cases does not include surgery., but only exercises, rest and pharmacological medication, but if the pain is quite intense or causes some disability, surgery can be considered.