Herniated Disc And Pinched Nerve Can Lead To Back And Hip Pain
As the discs between the spinal vertebrae age, the outer layer may become compromised, allowing the material to leak into the spinal canal. Patients with this condition are said to have a herniated disc. A herniated disc leads to pain when the disc material puts pressure on the nerves protected by the spine. Because the nerves within the spinal cord are responsible for communication between the brain and other areas of the body, this pain can also be felt in other areas of the body.
The lumbar region of the spine is located between the ribs in the pelvis. The five major nerves which emanate from the spine in this region are responsible for communication between the brain and thighs, lower legs, ankles, and feet. They also assist in controlling the abdominal muscles. Pressure on any of these nerves due to herniated disc in the lumbar region of the spine can result in a shooting pain down the legs.
How Is A Diagnosis Made
A medical exam will help determine whether the SI joint is the source of your pain. Evaluation includes a medical history and physical exam. Your physician will consider all the information you provided, including any history of injury, location of your pain, and problems standing or sleeping.
There are specific tests to determine whether the SI joint is the source of pain. You may be asked to stand or move in different positions and point to where you feel pain. Your doctor may manipulate your joints or feel for tenderness over your SI joint.
Imaging studies, such as X-ray, CT, or MRI, may be ordered to help in the diagnosis and to check for other spine and hip related problems.
A diagnostic SI joint injection may be performed to confirm the cause of pain. The SI joint is injected with a local anesthetic and corticosteroid medication. The injection is given using X-ray fluoroscopy to ensure accurate needle placement in the SI joint. Your pain level is evaluated before and 20-30 minutes after injection, and monitored over the next week. Sacroiliac joint involvement is confirmed if your pain level decreases by more than 75%. If your pain level does not change after the injection, it is unlikely that the SI joint is the cause of your low back pain.
Fight Or Flight Response
The way our body manages stress is a balance between our sympathetic nervous system and our parasympathetic nervous system . A significant part of our sympathetic nervous system travels along the psoas, another strong connection between the iliopsoas and our stress response.
The vagus nerve is a main component of the parasympathetic nervous system. The vagus nerve travels throughout our diaphragm and affects our breathing. A strong indicator that our bodies are resilient to stress is that our vagus nerve is able to regulate heart rate variability: the ability of your body to speed up the heart when increased blood flow is needed and to relax again once that need diminishes.
When your diaphragm doesn’t allow you to take deep breaths, your vagus nerve isnt stimulated properly. Since the vagus nerve is a part of the rest-and-digest response of the parasympathetic nervous system, when we take deep breaths into our abdomen, it helps us shift from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest.
The ability to breathe into your abdomen and not just your chest relates in part to the diaphragm’s alignment, which is also impacted by tension in the iliopsoas muscles.
Thesephysical reactions in the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems do not just occur when we experience a moment of stress, though. As humans, we have a unique ability to evoke emotions from our memories as well.
Don’t Miss: Aleve For Lower Back Pain
Is Back And Hip Pain A Symptom Of Prostate Cancer
The American Society of Clinical Oncology estimates 174,650 cases of prostate cancer this year alone. As the most commonly occurring type of cancer in menmostly those over the age of 50.
That isnt to say that you cant get it at a younger age, but the risk of getting this type of cancer is lower. However, studies have pointed to the growing incidence of prostate cancer among younger males as well. This is owing to environmental factors and early screenings.
The prostate is a small gland that produces seminal fluid for semen. Prostate cancer occurs when a group of cells in a mans prostate gland grows faster than others. These cells can often spread and affect normal tissue in the adjoining area.
Also Check: How To Treat Prostate Cancer That Has Spread To Bones
You Have A Sore Lower Back
Many people might assume their sore lower back means they overdid it at the gym or slept poorly, but the Prostate Cancer Foundation advises that pain or stiffness is actually one symptom of prostate cancer.
Pain associated with prostate cancer is usuallydull and deep, according to WebMD. This might help you distinguish it from a strained muscle or exercise injury.
You May Like: Flomax Ejaculate
You May Like: Will Naproxen Help Back Pain
Sciatica Or Other Back Pain
Up to 85% of Americans experience some type of back pain during their lives. But this doesn’t always involve the sciatic nerve. In many cases, back pain is the result of overextending or straining the muscles in the lower back. What most often sets sciatica apart is the way the pain radiates down the leg and into the foot. It may feel like a bad leg cramp that lasts for days.
You Cant Get Comfortable While Sitting
Discomfort or pain when sitting could signal a problem with your prostate, according toCancer.Net.
This type of pain might be caused by the prostate gland pressing on other areas of your pelvis. If you notice that youre experiencing pain or pressure while seated but feel better when youre standing up, that could be a red flag.
Recommended Reading: Is Motrin Good For Back Pain
Going A Small Amount At A Time
Large kidney stones sometimes get stuck in a ureter. This blockage can slow or stop the flow of urine.
If you have a blockage, you may only urinate a little bit each time you go. Urine flow that stops entirely is a medical emergency.
Its common for people with a kidney stone to have nausea and vomiting .
These symptoms happen because of shared nerve connections between the kidneys and GI tract . Stones in the kidneys can trigger nerves in the GI tract, setting off an upset stomach.
The nausea and vomiting can also be your bodys way of responding to intense pain .
What Are Common Prostate Problems What Are The Symptoms And Signs
Here are some examples of non-cancer prostate problems:
Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, means your prostate is enlarged, but is not cancerous. It is very common in older men. An enlarged prostate may make it very difficult to urinate or cause dribbling after you urinate. You may feel the need to urinate a lot, often at night. See your family doctor for an exam. Treatments for BPH include:
- Watchful waiting, also called active surveillance. If your symptoms are not too bad, your doctor may tell you to wait before starting any treatment to see if the problem gets worse. Your doctor will tell you how often you need to return for checkups. You can start treatment later if your symptoms worsen.
- Medications. There are medicines that can help shrink the prostate or help relax muscles near your prostate to ease your symptoms. Talk with your doctor about possible side effects.
- Surgery. If nothing else has worked, your doctor may suggest surgery to help urine flow. There are many types of BPH surgery. Talk with your doctor about the risks. Regular checkups are important after surgery.
- Other treatments. Sometimes radio waves, microwaves, or lasers are used to treat urinary problems caused by BPH. These methods use different kinds of heat to reduce extra prostate tissue.
Read Also: Does Enlarged Prostate Affect Ejaculation
Read Also: Is Advil Good For Back Pain
Arthritis And Hip Pain
Spinal osteoarthritis is a degenerative arthritis of the spine.
Osteoarthritis is a condition in which the cartilage that lines the joints degenerates or breaks down. As this material stiffens or breaks down, the additional wear and tear on the bones can cause inflammation, bone spurs, and pain.
Spinal osteoarthritis is a condition in which the cartilage and discs in the lower region of the spine degenerate and fail to perform their function of acting as cushions for the joints. This degeneration and increased pressure on the joints can lead to inflammation, pain, and possibly pressure on the lumbar nerves.
What Causes Hip Pain
While my hip pain has waxed and waned over the past few years, it has lingered. However, so have my other health and pain issues. I recently decided to see a new hip specialist. I was heartened that this doctor believed that hip surgery would not have helped me and that I made the right choice by cancelling it. Additionally, upon hearing that I was having a hysterectomy, this doctor told me that he would rather wait till a few months after the surgery before conducting another round of imaging. As I suspected, he said hip pain can often be caused or exacerbated by reproductive issues in women such as endo, adeno, and fibroids, as the hips house a network of nerves that intersect with those affected by the reproductive system. I also have one of my four fibroids that sits right against the left side near my bad hip.
Read Also: Advil For Lower Back Pain
The Diagnosis: Is It Your Hip
When you tell your doctor your hip hurts, the first thing she should do is confirm that your hip is actually the problem. Women might say they have hip pain, but what they may mean is that they have pain in the side of the upper thigh or upper buttock, or they may be experiencing lower back pain, says Stephanie E. Siegrist, MD, an orthopedic surgeon in Rochester, New York, and a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Hip pain is often felt in the groin or on the outside of the hip directly over where the hip joint is located.
Could Digestive Issues And Low Back Pain Be Caused By Tight Hip Flexors
Many people act as though health issues are specific and isolated. It’s time for a new angle. The systems in your body are intricately connected: if youre experiencing problems in one area it can directly affect another.
This domino effect is especially prevalent when it comes to your back, hips, and digestive system.
Your abdominal region is packed full of tissues and necessary systems that you use 24/7. It is home to your bladder, kidneys, female reproductive system and can also be ground zero for potential dysfunction, from ovarian cysts toirritable bowel syndrome .
Many of these internal organs in your abdomen are also adjacent to the iliopsoas or hip flexor muscles. Thats why it isnt uncommon for patients to ask me: can IBS cause hip and groin pain?
Im going to walk you through the inner workings of your abdominal region so you can better understand your body and how your organ health directly relates to your muscle health.
You May Like: How Does A Diuretic Help Back Pain
How Tight Hip Flexors Affect The Digestive System
Tight hip flexors can affect your digestive health. Your iliacus and psoas are located right next to the small and large intestine. When you begin to have issues with either part of the intestine, it can cause the iliopsoas muscles to quickly tighten around the intestinal area.
Medical issues like irritable bowel syndrome can cause hip and groin pain, which is why if you start to have lower back pain, it could be due to your digestive issues.
As the iliopsoas tightens, it doesnt much matter where the tightening begins. Once one part of the hip flexor muscles are impacted, the rest of them play an internal tug of war to try to balance and stabilize the core of your body. As the muscle tightness increases, the pull on your bones also increases. This pull is what impacts body alignment and how your joints fit together. These subtle changes can affect your posture, the way you walk, and cause back and hip pain over time.
What Could Cause Lower Back And Hip Pain To The Right Side
Lower back and hip pain on only the right side could also be muscle strain, arthritis, a trauma-related injury, tendinitis, bursitis, tight muscles, kidney stones, a kidney infection, or even appendicitis.
The classic appendicitis symptom is pain in your right lower abdomen, but it could also radiate to your right lower back. If you happen to have appendicitis, kidney stones, or a kidney infection, you will likely also have fever, nausea, vomiting, and painful urination as well, which are not symptoms of muscular or skeletal issues.
Women experiencing lower back and hip pain on the right side could be experiencing another set of issues like endometriosis, uterine fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease, pelvic floor dysfunction, or pelvic girdle pain.
You May Like: Tylenol Or Aleve For Back Pain
Lower Back Pain Causes
Most low back pain is due to a disruption in the way the spine, muscles, discs, and nerves fit together and move. Some mechanical causes of low back pain include:
Congenital
- Skeletal Irregularities: scoliosis , lordosis , kyphosis , etc.
- Spina Bifida: the incomplete development of the spinal cord or its protective covering.
Injuries
- Traumatic Injury: sports accidents, car accidents, or falls.
Degenerative Problems
- Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: spinal discs wear down from aging, causing them to lose their natural cushion.
- Spondylosis: general spinal degeneration from aging. This issue affects the joints, discs, and bones of the spine.
- Arthritis and Other Inflammatory Diseases:osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, spondylitis, etc.
Nerve and Spinal Cord Problems:
Non-spine Pain Sources:
- Kidney Stones: sharp lower back pain, usually on one side.
- Endometriosis: the buildup of uterine tissue outside the uterus.
- Fibromyalgia: a chronic pain syndrome causing muscle pain and fatigue.
- Tumors: tumors can press on or destroy the spinal cord and nerves.
- Pregnancy: lower back pain usually begins in later stages of pregnancy, and is resolved after birth.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic More Than The Effects Of Advil For Back Pain
Advil for back pain is good, but for severe back pain issues, you need a kind of care that fixes your problem and support your spines overall health. These are the benefits that you can experience from getting upper cervical chiropractic care.
If you want to learn more about how upper cervical chiropractors relieve back pain by adjusting your upper neck, visit thenearest upper cervical chiropractor in your area. We look forward to providing you with the care your need toward a pain-free and comfortable life.
You May Like: Advil Good For Back Pain
Three Sports Injuries That Can Lead To Both Lower Back And Hip Pain
Dealing with minor aches and pains is something that many athletes take for granted. However, some athletes may develop moderate to severe lower back and hip pain, and these forms of pain are often caused by specific sports injuries.
Its not uncommon for U.S. athletes to experience an aching lower back or hip. One medical study reports that up to 94% of athletes feel some level of lower back discomfort annually. Another study reveals that about 10% of people who seek help from sports medicine professionals have hip or groin pain. Meeting with a physical therapist can help you learn what is causing your lower back and hip pain, and you can also get effective treatment for your pain from these medical professionals.
To Relieve Hip Pain Try Thesefirst:
- See your primary care doctor. He or she will likely prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to see if hip pain improves.
- Lose weight. Shedding extra pounds is critical in relieving hip pain. Losing weight often reduces symptoms to the point where surgery is not necessary, says Dr. Murray. It also increases your chances of a successful outcome if surgery is one day warranted.
Also Check: Does Aleve Help With Back Pain
Can Stress And Anxiety Cause Body Aches
Absolutely. Our bodies respond to our thoughts, whether were remembering past experiences or responding to the present moment. We tighten muscles in a primal response to stress, or to protect certain areas of the body from trauma. While this is a natural healthy response, it becomes problematic when those muscles dont let go and instead create chronic tension and pain.
Stretches To Relieve Chronic Back And Hip Pain
Several exercises and stretches can relieve the chronic pain in these areas brought about by several factors and conditions. Trying these activities may greatly help in reducing the severity of the pain and difficulty experienced.
Adductor Opener
This stretch helps lessen the pain in the back and the hips through the opening of the adductor muscles as well as the hip flexors.
- In a standing position, point the toes at 45 degrees with the feet open and heels in.
- Squat low as if in a sitting position while placing the hands on the inner thighs.
- Press the thighs open and feel the stretch in the groin and thighs for about 30 seconds.
Childs Pose
This is a basic stretch that involves the entire back. It helps in opening and moving up the hips through proper stretching of the glutes.
- In a tabletop position, bring the toes together while taking the knees out and the hips back.
- Lower the forehead to the ground with the hands positioned straight forward.
- Relax the arms and keep the shoulders away from the ears for about 30 seconds.
Figure 4 Twist
This stretch reduces the lower back and hip pain. It increases the external hip rotation, providing the pain relief.
Runners Lunge
This stretch helps in relieving the pain with the movements done on the flexors, quadriceps, and even the abdominal muscles.
Supine Figure 4
This stretch exercise helps reduce the pain in the hips. It stretches the glutes and other muscles.
Read Also: How Much Advil For Back Pain
