The symptoms of lower limbs caused by lumbar disc herniation are often related to walking and standing. Some patients show persistent pain and numbness. Symptoms seriously affect walking activities and severe lower limb paralysis. Experts remind that lumbar disc herniation should be treated as soon as possible. The early treatment of disc herniation is not only to reduce the pain of symptomatic patients, but also to prevent the secondary changes of disc herniation from producing more and more serious symptoms. Disc herniation can cause secondary changes:
One; Posterior joint degeneration and hyperosteogeny
Lumbar disc herniation has a long history of low back and leg pain, often accompanied by posterior joint degeneration and hyperosteogeny. On the one hand, lumbar disc herniation and degeneration lead to narrowing of intervertebral space and relaxation of intervertebral disc; On the other hand, the hyperosteogeny of the superior articular process can further narrow the intervertebral foramen and increase the chance of nerve root compression.
Second; Hypertrophy and calcification of ligamentum flavum
Chronic lumbar muscle strain can make ligamentum flavum hypertrophy > 65438±0cm, interlaminar ligamentum flavum hypertrophy can narrow the spinal canal and compress the dural sac, and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy in the joint capsule can compress the nerve roots, showing signs similar to disc herniation.
Third; Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis
Lumbar disc herniation or degeneration caused by intervertebral space stenosis, relaxation and kyphosis of fibrous ring, hypertrophy of ligamentum flavum, and hyperosteogeny of posterior edge of vertebral body and intervertebral joint can all cause spinal canal to become smaller and narrower, which belongs to secondary spinal canal stenosis. Long-term repeated low back pain, acid sleepiness, and then intermittent claudication.
Fourth; Degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis
Disc herniation and degeneration can lead to lumbar instability and osteoarthritis of articular process, which is the main cause of degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis, and various waist and leg symptoms will appear.
Five; Lumbar osteophyte formation
Osteoosteophytes often occur near the edge of degenerated intervertebral discs. The osteophyte in the intervertebral foramen and the larger osteophyte on the posterior longitudinal ligament can compress the nerve root and appear the signs of lumbar disc herniation.
Six; Lumbar instability
Degeneration of the joints behind the intervertebral disc of lumbar tri-joint complex can lead to mutual influence, which makes the lumbar spine unstable, unable to maintain the stability of the spine, hyperplasia of vertebral bodies and articular processes, and finally fibrous or bony ankylosis. So lumbar instability is a stage in the process of lumbar disc degeneration.
Seven; Intervertebral disc narrowing
With the decrease of water content in nucleus pulposus in adults, the limitation of intervertebral disc height may be narrowed, thus accelerating the progress of lumbar disc herniation. The narrowing of intervertebral space may also cause subluxation of posterior joint, excessive displacement of articular process, narrowing of lateral recess and intervertebral foramen, which may lead to the signs of lumbar disc herniation.