Lumbar Disc Herniation with Radiculopathy in Adults – Incidence & Risk Factors

Chiropractors assess and manage patients with lumbar disc herniation and radiculopathy frequently, so it is in our best interest to be up to date on what the literature can tell us about all aspects of this condition – this week, an update on the incidence and risk factors…

Radiculopathy due to lumbar disc herniation is one of the most recognizable disorders of the low back, defined as localized displacement of disc material beyond the margins of the intervertebral disc space. The diagnosis is typically derived from a combination of symptoms and signs suggesting lumbar spinal nerve root compression or irritation, such as radicular pain with nerve root tension signs, neurologic deficits, and imaging findings that correlate with the clinical syndrome. Lumbar disc herniations are typically associated with greater pain, disability and healthcare use compared to nonspecific low back pain.

Previous studies have reported a 5% point-prevalence of lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy in adults 30 years of age and older (3, 4). However, little is known about the incidence of lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy and consequently, risk factors are not well understood.

The aim of this review was to synthesize the evidence on the incidence and risk factors for lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy in adults.

From Dr. Thistle:

First, congratulations to my chiropractic friends and colleagues involved in this publication (led by Dr. Cesar Hincapié and including Drs. Carol Cancelliere, Pierre Côté, Jan Hartvigsen and David Cassidy – a literal all star team!).

Despite limitations within the literature, there are important conclusions from this review that can be made. The findings suggest the incidence is higher among occupational populations and highly dependent on the source population, case definition and ascertainment method. We still don’t know much about the incidence of clinically defined lumbar disc herniations with radiculopathy in the general population as only one admissible study was included investigating a clinical case definition among the general population. Otherwise, the results confirmed and expanded upon the list of risk factors that were already known, with some of them being more relevant in women. Check out the review for the full list…

This week’s Research Review: “Lumbar Disc Herniation with Radiculopathy in Adults – Incidence & Risk Factors”

This paper was published in the European Spine Journal (2025)

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