title: The management of weakness caused by lumbar and lumbosacral nerve root compression.
abstract: Spinal stenosis and disc herniation are the two   most frequent causes of lumbosacral nerve root compression. This   can result in muscle weakness and present with or without pain. The   difficulty when managing patients with these conditions is knowing   when surgery is better than non-operative treatment: the evidence   is controversial. Younger patients with a lesser degree of weakness   for a shorter period of time have been shown to respond better to surgical   treatment than older patients with greater weakness for longer.   However, they also constitute a group that fares better without   surgery. The main indication for surgical treatment in the management   of patients with lumbosacral nerve root compression should be pain   rather than weakness.
authors.affiliation: Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, Devon PL6 8DH, UK.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: S W J
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Cole
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000601:surgery*; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome