What is the best way to treat a L5-S1 herniated disc?
A herniated disc is frequently treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, if the pain is only mild to moderate. An epidural steroid injection may be performed utilizing a spinal needle under X-ray guidance to direct the medication to the exact level of the disc herniation.
How do you treat a herniated disc with sciatica?
Injections. If rest, pain relievers, and physical therapy don’t help with your pain, your doctor can inject a steroid medicine into the space around your spinal nerve. This is called an epidural injection. The steroid can help bring down the swelling, help you move more easily, and ease pain from a herniated disk.
How do you get rid of L5-S1 pain?
Treatment of L5-S1 usually begins with: Medication. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are usually tried first for pain stemming from L5-S1. For more severe pain, prescription medication, such as opioids, tramadol, and/or corticosteroids may be used.
What causes pain in the L5 S1?
Compression or inflammation of the L5 and/or S1 spinal nerve root may cause radiculopathy symptoms or sciatica, characterized by: Pain, generally felt as a sharp, shooting, and/or searing feeling in the buttock, thigh, leg, foot, and/or toes Numbness in the foot and/or toes Weakness in the leg and/or foot muscles and an inability to lift the foot off the floor (foot drop)
What is the safest stretches for L5-S1?
Some of the safest stretches for your L5 and S1 area include yoga’s cat and cow poses, lying knees-to-chest stretches and gentle spinal twists. Do these stretches two to three times per day, including after you workout. Consult with your doctor any time you engage in a new activity involving your lower back.
What is the nerve between L5 and S1?
Nerve roots branching from the spinal cord in L1-S1 region travels down to the legs. This nerve is known as sciatic nerve. The intervertebral disc between the fifth lumbar and first sacral vertebrae (L5 and S1) is known as the L5-S1 disc.
What are some symptoms of a herniated disc at L5?
The hallmark symptom of an L5 disc herniation is a sharp pain down the back of the leg, below the knee or into the foot. Pain is often described as shooting, burning or electric-like, and the patient can often trace the path of the pain with her finger.