Office Chair Sitting
Siatic Nerve & Cauda Equina: Pictures, Diagrams Symptoms

Siatic Nerve & Cauda Equina: Pictures Diagrams Symptoms



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Diagram: The Cauda Equina.
At the level of the thirteenth rib, the human spinal chord terminates in a bulge (the lumbosacral enlargement). All remaining spinal nerves emerge from the lumbosacral enlargement. These remaining spinal nerves have the appearance of a horse's tail. Hence the name. (Cauda equina is Latin for Horse's Tail).

The Clinical significance of the Cauda equina is that lumbar herniated discs (though exceedingly painful and capable of causing a degree of loss of motor control to the bladder, bowel, and leg) are unlikely to cause total paraplegia -it takes a spinal fracture to do that.

(Advice as to when you should see your doctor:-
Back Pain Red Flags) 		Diagram : The Cauda Equina
Diagram: The Siatic Nerve and its Roots
The Siatic Nerve originates from five spinal nerve roots: Lumbar nerves L4, L5, and Sacral Nerves S1, S2, and S3. It is rare for siatic nerve roots other than L4 and L5 to be damaged by lumbar disc herniation.

Nerve Root L4 can be squeezed when the disc between lumbar vertebrae L4 and L5 herniates.
The symptoms of damage to nerve L4 are:-
  1. Difficulty in lifting the big toe off the ground.
  2. Loss of sensation and/or "pins and needles" in the big toe.
  3. Pain in the back of the thigh and the side of the calf.
Nerve Root L5 can be squeezed when the disc between lumbar vertebra L5 and the first sacral vertebra herniates.
The symptoms of damage to nerve L5 are:-
  1. Weakness when trying to put full weight on the ball of the toe and lift the heal off the ground.
  2. An increased Achilles tendon jerk.
  3. Loss of sensation and/or "pins and needles" in the side of the foot and heel.
  4. Pain in the back of the thigh and calf.
 Diagram: The Siatic Nerve

Information on Siatic Nerve and Back pain worsened by sitting:- Consequences of Office Chair Sitting (2): the Pre-flexed Spine and the pinched Siatic Nerve

Pictures and Digrams: The Siatic Nerve & The Cauda Equina
© Bruce Thomson, EasyVigour Project


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