A herniated lumbar disc can cause numbness in the left leg because the herniated nucleus pulposus compresses the nerve roots or spinal cord on the left side, and the compressed nerve roots and spinal cord show aseptic inflammation, which prevents the proprioceptive and tactile nerve fibers from conducting nerve impulses normally, thus leading to numbness in the left leg. Common treatments include lumbar traction, general therapy, exercise therapy and surgery.
1. Lumbar spine traction: lumbar spine traction is the use of traction and reverse pulling force on the lumbar spine, so that the lumbar spine intervertebral space increases and the internal pressure of lumbar spine intervertebral discs decreases, so that the protruding intervertebral discs are partially retracted, and the oppression on the spinal cord and nerve roots is lifted, so as to relieve the symptom of numbness of the left leg.
2. General therapy: non-surgical treatments such as acupuncture, massage, acupressure, etc. can promote blood circulation and reduce the pressure of lumbar intervertebral discs on the nerve roots and spinal cord, thus relieving the numbness of the left leg.
3. Exercise therapy: Targeted exercises such as lumbar back muscle strengthening and lumbar stretching can strengthen the lumbar back muscles and reduce the pressure on the nerve roots and spinal cord, thus relieving leg numbness.
4. Surgery: If other treatments are not effective, surgery can be considered. Common surgical methods include radiofrequency ablation, intervertebral foramenoscopy, intervertebral discoscopy, and small openings. Surgery can remove the protruding nucleus pulposus of the lumbar intervertebral disc and relieve the pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots, thus relieving the numbness of the left leg.
Physical therapy and medication are also commonly used to treat left leg numbness caused by lumbar spine herniation. It is recommended that the patient go to the hospital in time, and the doctor will give targeted treatment according to the degree of the disease.