L3-4 Extruded Disc
This video will show you the MRI images of a lady who is about 60 years old. She has a long history of low back pain, but this episode of pain resulted in right sciatica pain too, for the first time. She stated that her new episode was probably caused by an exercise she did, when she layed on her back over a roller device which hyper-extended her low back. That makes sense because doing so would result in a transcient, focal hyperextension that could pinch a nerve root. I think the disc extrusion that we see on her MRI scan, as well as several other non-extruded and smaller disc herniations, are probably the cause for her recurring back pain, but this time the exercise movement she did caused a pinched nerve, accounting for the sciatica.
In this case, I think some treatments of spinal decompression will reduce the pressure on her nerve root, and she will get back to her previous status of occasional back pain. Of course, if she does a little more treatment, I think she can improve much more and, hopefully, get to the point that her back pain resovles for long periods of time, e.g. many months to several years. That is typically what I see with patients who receive and improve from spinal decompression treatment.
L3-4 Extruded disc and right sciatica.
On the axial images at L3-4 you will see a small disc lesion that explains why the nerve was pinched, accounting for the right sciatica. There was another image that showed this better, but, unfortunately, was not included in this video. There are several different kinds of disc problems that can cause pain, including bulges, herniations, extrusions- which are a type of herniation in which disc material comes out and then migrates up or down the canal.
If I can help you with your neck or back pain or sciatica, please call me at 404-558-4015.
