Chiropractic Specilty Center® (CSC) provides the best holistic non-surgical treatment for an L5-S1 disc bulge, protrusion, prolapse, herniation, and extrusion. CSC’s L5-S1 treatment can fix and repair the root causes of your back and leg pain; contact us today for the best alternative to an L5-S1 surgery.
The L5-S1 spinal segment is located right below the belt line. It is the last segment of the lower back, articulating with the sacrum (tailbone). Published studies show that 80% of adults will experience back pain at least once in their lifetime. The most common causes of back pain are related to the disorders of the last three lumbar segments; L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1. The L4-L5 and L5-S1 are the two most common segments linked to back pain.
In this article, we have discussed common L5-S1 conditions that cause back pain, weakness in the legs, or radicular symptoms in the buttocks or legs (numbness, tingling, and pain).
The Spine is divided into five sections :
- The cervical spine (neck) has a total of seven vertebrae
- The thoracic spine (upper and mid-back) is made up of twelve vertebrae
- The Lumbar spine (lower back) is composed of five vertebrae
- Sacrum, a triangular bone that articulates with the L5, both pelvises, and the coccyx to form the tailbone
- The coccyx is a small, triangular-shaped structure at the bottom tip of the spine
Back Pain & The L5-S1 Spinal Segment
The lower lumbar spine is prone to injury and wear. Lumbar spine diseases and conditions can cause a host of problems that interferes with daily activities.
Here are some of the symptoms and conditions linked to an L5-S1 spinal segment disorder:
- Back pain, pain in the buttocks, or leg pain
- Numbness, tingling, or burning sensations in the buttocks, legs, feet, or toes
- Difficulty while walking or an Inability to stand for short periods
- Paralysis in one or both legs
- Bowel and balder disorders
- Sexual dysfunction including infertility and impotence
The Best L5-S1 Treatment Option?
Spine disorders, including those related to L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1, are best treated conservatively. Invasive procedures such as steroid injections, RFA (radiofrequency ablation), or spine surgery should be the absolute last option. Radiofrequency ablation or RF ablation is a minimally invasive spine surgical procedure designed to kill the pain-sensing nerve in your spine. We discourage patients from getting this treatment as it ’causes degenerative changes in the spine resulting from destabilization due to damaged soft tissues and nerves.
Recovery from back pain related to L3-L4, L4-L5, or L5-S1 requires focused conservative treatments that fix and repair the injured or damaged areas. The best treatment for back pain and pain related to L5-S1 is a combination of physiotherapy with chiropractic.
Chiropractic Specialty Center® provides the most holistic neck and back pain treatment in Malaysia. Our chiropractors and physiotherapists have the skills, knowledge, experience, and advanced therapy devices to help patients recover without surgery or injections. The lower lumbar segments (L3-S1) are common sites of pain and disabilities. Degenerative discs, arthritis (bone spurs), and slip-discs are common sources of back and leg pain.
L5-S1 Spinal Segment Issues That Cause Back Pain & Leg Symptoms
The L5-S1 spinal segment is a common problematic spinal segment in back pain patients. Back pain that arises from the L5-S1 segment can be the result of the following conditions:
- Muscle spasms: In some cases, muscle spasms are the first sign of back pain.
- Joint issues (spinal joint misalignment, arthritis, or degeneration): Back pain caused by a joint issue is a common occurrence. The neglected spinal joint issue can cause more serious issues such as bone spurs, facet hypertrophy, and slipped discs.
- Pinched nerves: A pinched nerve results from slipped discs, bone spurs, and ligament thickening as seen in facet hypertrophy and hypertrophy of Ligamentum Flavum.
- L5-S1 Spondylolisthesis: L5-S1 Spondylolisthesis is a condition in which the 5th lumbar segment (L5) slips forward in relation to the first sacral segment (S1). The L5-S1 segment is the most common site for spondylolisthesis. Spondylolisthesis is most common at L5-S1. An L5-S1 spondylolisthesis can be developmental (due to a fracture or spondylolysis) or congenital.
- Degenerative changes: Degenerated spinal discs, spinal joints, or soft tissues (degenerated muscles and ligaments are the leading cause of back pain and slipped disc. Your back pain condition could be caused by degeneration of your spinal discs, degeneration of your joints, or soft tissue degeneration
- Slipped disc: A slipped disc is a layperson’s term for bulging discs, herniated discs, protruded discs, or extruded discs.
- Sciatica: The sciatic nerve is a collection or a bundle of nerves formed from exiting spinal nerves from L4-S3. L5-S1 segment is one of the main nerves involved in sciatica or sciatic-like pain syndromes.
- L5-S1 spondylosis: Spondylosis or arthritic degeneration of vertebral body margins or spinal discs at L5-S1 results in excessive weight-bearing activities or repetitive injuries that go untreated.
- Posterior Facet Hypertrophy at L5–S1: The medical term for spinal joints is faceted. Each segment has four facets. Spinal joints are formed through the connection of facets of vertebrae below connects to the facets of the vertebra above. Facet hypertrophy is a primary cause of back pain.
- Spinal Canal Stenosis At L5-S1: The spinal canal is the passageway or tunnel for the spinal cord or spinal nerves when the cord ends. The spinal cord ends at L1 and continues down as nerve fibbers that resemble the hairs on a horse’s tail. Spondylosis, spondylolisthesis, slipped discs, and hypertrophy of the Ligamentum Flavum and facet are the leading causes of spinal canal stenosis or shrinkage.
- Hypertrophy of Ligamentum Flavum at L5-S1: Ligamentum Flavum is an essential ligament that connects spine bones and provides much-needed stability during movements, especially bending and extending movements. Thickening of Ligamentum Flavum can occur at any segment. Thicken or hypertrophy of Ligamentum Flavum at L5-S1 is not as common as it is in the L3-L4 and L4-L5 segments.
- L5-S1 Foraminal Stenosis: The openings along the sides through which nerves exit the spine. Shrinkage in the size of this foramen (hole) causes nerve impingement. Vertebral foraminal stenosis or foraminal stenosis is common in the slipped disc, spondylolisthesis, facet hypertrophy, and hypertrophy of Ligamentum Flavum.
To recover from an L5-S1, you need expert care to assess and find repair the root cause of your condition. Following are the steps to take to optimize your back pain treatment.
Back Pain Caused By L5-S1 Problems
The L4-L5 and L5-S1 segments are the two most common segments implicated in back pain. Axial loading (weight-bearing activities) is the main causative factor relating to issues that arise from L5-S1. Individuals who sit or stand for extended periods place enormous stress on the spinal joint and disc of L5-S1 segments. The harmful impact of prolonged or excessive weight-bearing activities increases joint and disc pressure (increased intradiscal pressure).
Intradiscal pressure is measured in mm Hg (millimeters of mercury). A healthy intradiscal pressure is below 70 mm Hg. Intradiscal pressures of over 90 mm Hg lead to a decrease in blood flow. Moreover, Increased intradiscal pressure expels nutrients and compounds needed for the maintenance of a healthy spinal disc.
Spinal disc pressure (intradiscal pressure) is directly related to body position and daily activities. Examples of average intradiscal pressure in various positions are as follow:
- Supine position: Average intradiscal pressure is 25 mm Hg
- Standing upright: Intradiscal pressure increases to 100+ mm Hg
- Bending at the waist while standing: Intradiscal pressure rises to 150+ mm Hg
- In the upright proper sitting position: The Average intradiscal pressure is 200 mm Hg
- Sitting in poor postures: Intradiscal pressure can increase to 250+ mm Hg
The lumbar spine (lower back) is the most susceptible spinal segment to the harmful impact of increased intradiscal pressures associated with prolonged sitting or standing.
L5-S1 Disc Bulge And Disc Herniation Causes, Signs & Symptoms
The lumbar spine or the lower back is the most common location for disc bulge and disc herniation (slipped disc). The most common site for a slipped disc in the lower back is L4-L5. The second most common site of involvement is L5-S1. L3-L4 is the third most common site for herniated lumbar discs.
Premature wear and tear of spinal discs as seen in degenerative disc disease is the leading cause of herniated discs at L5-S1. Spinal disc-related conditions are all linked to disc degeneration; for the L5-S1 disc to be herniated, it must have pre-existing degenerative changes. Healthy discs will not herniate at all. Individuals with damaged or degenerated discs are at greater risk of developing a herniated L5-S1 disc. Common causes of spinal disc herniations include:
- Prolong sitting
- Sitting in a forward bending posture
- Excessive bending or twisting at the back
- Improper lifting
- Slip and falls
- Injuries
A herniated L5-S1 disc can press and impinge nerves and the spinal cord. This compression can lead to discomfort, aches, and pains in the back, buttocks, hips, thighs, legs feet, or toes. It may also cause numbness, tingling, and weakness in the thighs, legs, knees, ankles, feet, or toes.
Symptoms of an L5-S1 pinched nerve include pain, stiffness, numbness, tingling, and weakness. Nerve pain is described as having burning, sharp, or throbbing like-symptoms that travel to the lower limbs giving patients sciatica-like pain.
Sciatica pain is the result of one or more nerves in the cervical spine being compressed or irritated. The sharp pain can be felt as a shooting or burning sensation originating in the lower back and moving up the leg, affecting the distribution of certain nerves in the feet. Sciatica pain can run down the buttocks, but its distribution depends on which nerves are affected.
Back Pain & Leg Symptoms Caused By L5-S1 Spinal Segment Issues
Leg painoften occurs with spine problems involving the intervertebral disc in the lower back. However, patients with severe neck, upper back, and mid-back issues that compress the spinal cord may also experience pain and weakness in their legs. Therefore, expert care and analysis are essential in identifying the actual cause of leg pain. CSC’s chiropractors are the experts you need to trace back the cause of leg pain and customize a holistic treatment plan that fixes and repairs leg pain causes without surgery or injections.
When a slipped disc (disc bulge or herniated disc) presses on the nerve, pain, numbness, or weakness may occur in the body area where the nerve travels. Pain felt in the buttocks or legs may have resulted from compressed nerves or an L4-L5 or L5-S1 impingement of spinal nerves or compression of the thecal sac.
A herniated or bulging disc can occur at any segment that has a spinal disc. Bulging and herniated discs or slipped discs are common in the neck and lower back. Slipped discs in the neck may involve the C4-C5, C5-C6, or C6-C7 segment. Slipped discs in the lower back are most common at the L3-L4, L4-L5, or L5-S1.
Common back pain symptoms caused by herniated discs or slipped discs include sciatica-like sensations (pain and numbness in the buttock, thigh, leg, foot, or toes). It will also cause pain and numbness in the genital area, difficulty urinating, and weakness in the legs in severe cases.
Sciatica & The L5-S1 Spinal Segment
Sciatica is a general term used to describe pain in the back, hips, and legs caused by compression of the sciatic nerve from the lower end of the spinal cord to the lower extremities.
Sciatica pain results when nerve fibers from the sciatica nerve are compressed in the spinal cord, thecal sac, or when exiting the spine. Sciatica can also result from congenital anomalies or excessive muscle tightness of the piriformis muscle – a deep muscle in the buttocks.
Spinal Canal Stenosis A Common Sources Of Back Pain
The spinal canal is the tunnel created by the interlocking spinal segments to house the spinal cord. The spinal cord is a rope-like cylinder-shaped bundle of nerves originating at the skull’s base and continuing downward inside the spinal canal until the L1 or the first lumbar segment. At the L1-L2 spinal level, the spinal cord changes from a solid rope-like cylinder to strands of hair similar to a horse’s tail (solid part and strands of hair). The cord is named cauda equina (from Latin horse’s tail) at the point where the rope-like structures change into hair-like strands or rootlets.
Cauda Equina Syndrome & Back Pain
Cauda equina syndrome occurs with compression and impingement of the nerves in the thecal sac (nerves in the spinal canal) in the lower spine. The three most common causes of cauda equine are slipped disc, arthritis, and hypertrophy of the Ligamentum Flavum, which compress the spinal cord, thecal sac, or nerve roots as they exit the spinal canal. Most patients with cauda equina syndrome will have a combination of one or all of the three causes motioned above.
Cauda equina syndrome is associated with debilitating pain in the low back and lower extremities. It causes difficulty walking in the legs, paraesthesia, weakness, and, in severe cases, intestinal and bladder disorders.
Typical symptoms of a cauda equina syndrome include debilitating pain in the back and lower extremities, difficulty walking in the legs, paraesthesia, and weakness in the legs. Other common symptoms of cauda equina include sexual and reproductive dysfunctions, bowel or intestinal issues, and bladder disorders.
The L4-L5 and L5-S1 spinal segments are the most common causes of cauda equina syndrome. Conditions such as slipped discs, thickening of the posterior vertebral bodies (spondylosis, arthritis, and bone spurs), and hypertrophy of the Ligamentum Flavum are leading causes.
Slipped Disc (Bulging & Herniated Disc)
Slipped disc, also known as a herniated disc, disc bulge, protruded disc, extruded disc, or prolapsed disc results when the nucleus push against the thecal sac, spinal cord, or spinal nerves. In a herniated disc, the gel-like center of the intervertebral disc bulges, slips, or tears in weak areas of the intervertebral discs, compressing the nerves.
Most people who suffer from an L5-S1 slipped disc will experience back pain. But in some cases, there may not be any back pain; an example of a common L5-S1 condition that presents without back pain is sciatica or sciatica-like symptoms.
Contact Chiropractic Specialty Center® in Kuala Lumpur for the best non-surgical treatment of a slipped disc at L5-S1 today!
Best Treatment For Back Pain & L5-S1 Spinal Disorder
Holistic methods of focused chiropractic and physiotherapy combined are the best means of fixing and repairing issues that cause back pain including severe slipped discs, and canal stenosis. Compressive treatments that combine the best of chiropractic and physiotherapy eliminate the need to have surgery or injections.
Chiropractic Specialty Center® has treated and healed thousands of back pain patients. The vast majority of our back pain patients had L3-L4, L4-L5, or L5-S1 disorders. Our clinical teams of chiropractors and physiotherapists use advanced and breakthrough methods of spine care that fix and repair damaged spinal tissues without injections or surgery. Our methodology and specialized spine technology can help even if you suffer from severe conditions impacting your L3-l4, l4-L5, or L5-S1.
NSD Therapy® is our method of choice for L5-S1 slipped disc, canal stenosis, facet hypertrophy, or hypertrophy of Ligamentum Flavum. NSD Therapy® is an integrative method of non-invasive therapies and treatment that incorporates chiropractic, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation through manual and therapy machines for lasting relief. Chiropractic Specialty Center® is the only center that provides NSD Therapy® in Malaysia. Call our main center in Bukit Damansara at 03 2093 100 (alternatively WhatsApp us at 017-269-1873) or contact a center near you for more information about our L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1 treatment for back pain or slipped disc today.
