Types Of Leg Pain That Are Actually Caused By A Back Problem
No doubt about it, your legs endure a lot of stress throughout your life, leading to a general wear and tear that may result in pain. However, not all sources of leg pain are caused by issues related to the joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, or cartilage that make up your lower extremities.
Its possible that the electric shock sensation you feel shooting down your leg every time you reposition your body is due to a back problem. At Texas Spine Consultants in Addison and Plano, Texas, our orthopedic surgeons specialize in spine health and help many people get relief from their leg pain by treating the underlying back problem responsible for the traveling pain sensations.
To save you from unnecessary testing and treatment of your legs, we want to share with you the types of leg pain that are actually caused by a back problem.
Preventing Sciatic Nerve Pain
While sciatica may not be completely avoidable, there are certain ways to protect your back from recurring pain:
- Regular Exercise: Keeping your back strong and paying attention to core strength in the abdomen and lower back are essential for proper alignment.
- Maintain Good Posture When You Sit: Sitting with lower back support, armrests, and a swivel base help your posture. Keep you knees and hips level, and consider adding a small pillow in the small of your back to maintain its normal curve.
- Be Mindful of Good Body Mechanics: Be mindful of your body while doing regular daily activities and if you do physical labor for work. If you stand for a long time, alternate propping your feet up on a small box from time to time. When lifting something heavy, use your knees instead of relying on your back keep your back straight and bend at the knees. Get help lifting large items so you dont stress your muscles or joints.
What To Do For Lower Left Back Pain
When lower left back pain results from a musculoskeletal condition, try: Rest. Although doctors rarely recommend complete bed rest, it helps to limit activities that cause lower back pain. Ice. Applying an ice pack wrapped in a cloth to the area several times a day can decrease inflammation and discomfort.
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What Causes Pain In The Buttocks And Leg
This is the nerve that runs through your buttocks and down the back of your leg. Sciatica is usually caused by a herniated disc, bone spur, or spinal stenosis compressing part of the sciatic nerve. Sciatica usually only affects one side of the body. It causes an electric or burning low back pain that radiates down your leg.
While muscle strains usually cause mild soreness, you may also experience cramping or a sharp, tearing sensation, especially if the strain is sudden and/or severe. In addition to pain, swelling and bruising may also occur over the affected muscle. Muscle strains may occur as a result of sudden trauma, like a fall or a blow to the muscle.
Is The Weight Of Pregnancy The Reason Why So Many Pregnant Women Get Sciatica
Its true that sciatica is common in pregnancy but increased weight is not the main reason why pregnant women get sciatica. A better explanation is that certain hormones of pregnancy cause a loosening of their ligaments. Ligaments hold the vertebrae together, protect the disks and keep the spine stable. Loosened ligaments can cause the spine to become unstable and might cause disks to slip, which leads to nerves being pinched and the development of sciatica. The babys weight and position can also add pressure to the nerve.
The good news is there are ways to ease sciatic pain during pregnancy, and the pain goes away after birth. Physical therapy and massage therapy, warm showers, heat, medications and other measures can help. If you are pregnant, be sure to follow good posture techniques during pregnancy to also ease your pain.
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Arthritis Of The Spine
Arthritis of the spine the slow degeneration of the spinal joints is the most frequent cause of lower back pain. All of us experience wear and tear as we age, and it is normal for your lower back to start acting up as you get older. As the cartilage breaks down between the spinal joints, surrounding tissues may become inflamed. The inflammation and the thinning of cartilage increase friction in the joints, which may cause pain in the lower back.
What Causes Low Back Pain With Leg Involvement
This can cause some pain during lifting and exercise, and can ultimately trigger a trapped nerve within the spinal cord. This trapped nerve can cause pain within the leg and can cause lower back pain. Sciatica is usually caused by a compressed or trapped lumbar or sacral nerve within the spinal cord.
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Can A Pinched Nerve Cause Lower Back And Leg Pain
You are on the verge of lumbar surgery. Lower back and leg pain go hand and glove together an irritated or pinched nerve causes tingling, numbness and a deep ache in the limb. FEMORAL NERVE : Roots L2, L3 & L4 SCIATIC NERVE : Roots L4, L5 & S1 mainly
Its possible for even severe back pain to be confined to just one side of the back. When the pain is entirely on the lower right side, it may suggest a specific type of injury or illness, and its important to have it examined. Low back pain is also called lumbago or sciatica. Common characteristics of lower right back pain
You are on the verge of lumbar surgery. Lower back and leg pain go hand and glove together an irritated or pinched nerve causes tingling, numbness and a deep ache in the limb. FEMORAL NERVE : Roots L2, L3 & L4 SCIATIC NERVE : Roots L4, L5 & S1 mainly
Can Lower Back Pain Be Related To Weather
If you feel like your lower back pain worsens on days when its cold or the weather is changing, you are not imagining things. Back pain can indeed be related to barometric pressure and outdoor temperature. Changes in pressure can sometimes cause pain in arthritic joints, including the spine. Muscles and joints in general react to the environment, which can make them stiffer and more likely to suffer an injury.
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Lumbar Spinal Canal Stenosis
Stenosis means narrowing, and lumbar spinal canal stenosis is narrowing of the space available for nerves in the lumbar spine. Narrowing of the lumbar spinal canal can put pressure on the nerves, which may cause back pain, pain down the sciatic nerve, numbness and weakness of the legs.
If you have lumbar spinal canal stenosis you may have no symptoms. Or you may have low back pain that radiates to the buttocks and legs, or just leg pain. The pain often occurs when you stand or walk. Spinal stenosis tends to affect older people rather than younger people.
How Can I Tell If Pain In My Hip Is A Hip Issue Or Sciatica
Hip problems, such as arthritis in the hip, usually cause groin pain, pain when you put weight on your leg, or when the leg is moved around.
If your pain starts in the back and moves or radiates towards the hip or down the leg and you have numbness, tingling or weakness in the leg, sciatica is the most likely cause.
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What Is Radiating Pain
Radiating pain is pain that “radiates” from one area of the body to other areas of the body. When pain in one area of the body causes pain in other areas, this is known as “referred pain.” In fact, radiating lower back and hip pain can cause pain in all kinds of places near these areas like
- Thigh muscle pain
- Pain back of the knee
- Knee pain at night
- Pain in the upper thigh
- Numbing of nerves in leg
- Hip and groin pain
- Pain in the back of leg behind the knee
- Pain in one side side
- Pain in the calf
- Pain in back of the knee
- Hip and groin pain
- Sharp pain in the toes
- Lower calf pain
Note your symptoms from the list above and use these to learn your diagnosis with our helpful descriptions of symptoms, possible causes, and when you should get to a doctor or emergency room to know how to treat your injury.
Leg Pain From Hip Disorders
When the hip is affected, you may have groin pain on the affected side, reduced range of motion of the hip, thigh pain, knee pain, or buttocks pain. The pain usually does not go down below the knee, and there is no associated numbness or tingling. You may feel more pain when walking or standing, and the pain improves with rest. You may sense a limited range of motion when trying to get out of the car, chair or bed. Occasionally, pain in the hip could be secondary to inflammation of a hip bursa. This can happen if you have tight hip abductor muscles, difference in leg length or hip arthritis. Hip pain can also be caused by something more serious but less common, like fractures, tumors, infection or avascular necrosis.
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What To Do If You Suspect Something Else
Theres only one major tiphere: See a doctor, whether it is your primary care physician or aspecialist. Each condition that mimics spinal problems comes with its own treatments,but the first step is an accurate diagnosis. For example, a nerve test such aselectromyography can help a doctor spot neuropathy, and a blood-flow testsuch as the ankle-brachial index can distinguish between spinal stenosisand peripheral arterial disease.
Its so important to look atall of your symptoms and history and do a thorough examination, Dr. Khalafsays. Its how we can tell the difference between a back issue and a medicalcondition.
What’s Causing The Shooting Pain In My Leg
Sciatica is a pain that originates from the back but shoots down the legs to the foot. Its often described as an electrical sensation accompanied by sharp pain. Sciatica can affect patients of all ages and often comes on suddenly with no apparent trauma. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ryan Spiker talks about sciatica, how to identify it, and when its time to go to a doctor for imaging.
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Leg Pain From Back Disorders
Leg pain coming from the low back, or the lumbar spine, is commonly referred to as sciatica. Sciatica could involve pain in the buttocks, down the thigh, into the leg or in the foot. It is often associated with numbness or tingling, and sometimes weakness. Sciatica has multiple possible causes, such as:
- Herniated or ruptured disc
- Lumbar spinal stenosis
When Should I Contact My Healthcare Provider
Get immediate medical attention if you experience:
- Severe leg pain lasting more than a few hours that is unbearable.
- Numbness or muscle weakness in the same leg.
- Bowel or bladder control loss. This could be due to a condition called cauda equina syndrome, which affects bundles of nerves at the end of the spinal cord.
- Sudden and severe pain from a traffic accident or some other trauma.
Even if your visit doesnt turn out to be an emergency situation, its best to get it checked out.
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Can Arthritis Or Gout Cause Shooting Back Pain
Arthritis means there is a loss of protective cartilage within a joint, causing the bones to rub together. Gout is a form of arthritis caused by mineral crystal deposits in the joint. Both are very painful, especially when found within the spinal column, but do not cause radiating or “shooting” back pain.
Why Is Inactivity Bad For Shooting Radiating Back Pain
The sciatic nerves are actually bundles of many nerves branching out of the different levels of the spine and form two branches that run down each side of the low back. Lack of fitness creates weak, shortened muscles that press on the sciatic nerves and cause constant pain. Exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles can be very helpful. Sitting for prolonged periods can also cause back pain to flare or worsen due to poor posture. Try to sit up straight with your shoulders back and your lower back supported with a special chair, a rolled towel, or pillow. You should also try to stand and stretch every so often.
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The Universal Guide To Sciatica: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know Straight From The Experts
In This Article:What Is Sciatica? | What Is The Sciatic Nerve? | What Are Common Sciatica Symptoms? | What Causes Sciatica? | How Is Sciatica Diagnosed? | What Are Some Nonsurgical Sciatica Treatments? | Do You Need Sciatica Surgery? | What Type of Sciatica Surgery Do You Need ? |
The sharp, shooting nerve pain of sciatica can take your breath away. When low back pain radiates through the buttocks and down the leg, the symptoms are known as sciatica. Although sciatica is commonaffecting up to 40% of adultsthere are many misconceptions about what sciatica is.
Leg pain that descends below the knee is the classic hallmark of sciatica, a type of lumbar radiculopathy. Photo Source: 123RF.com.
What Are The Symptoms
Classic sciatic pain starts in the low back and buttocks. It affects one leg traveling down the back of the thigh, past the knee, and sometimes into the calf and foot. The pain feels worse in the leg than in the back. It may range from a mild ache to severe burning or a shooting pain. Numbness or tingling can occur in your leg and foot. This usually is not a concern unless you have weakness in your leg muscles or foot drop.
Sitting usually causes the most pain because of the weight this position puts onto the discs. Activities, such as bending or twisting, worsen the pain, whereas lying down tends to bring relief. Running or walking may actually feel better than sitting or standing for too long.
Seek medical help immediately if you have extreme leg weakness, numbness in the genital area, or loss of bladder or bowel function. These are signs of a condition called cauda equina syndrome.
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Sensations That Might Indicate A Medical Emergency
1. Sharp pain rather than a dull ache: This could indicate a torn muscle or ligament, or a problem with an internal organ in the back or side.2. Radiating pain: This pain “moves” or shoots to the glutes or legs, which could indicate a nerve compression condition.
3. Sudden weakness in the legs: Limb weakness can be caused by compressed nerves in the spine due to conditions like sciatica or spinal stenosis. However, sudden leg weakness could also indicate a stroke.4. Incontinence: Back pain paired with inability to control the bowels or bladder might be a sign of serious nerve compression or a spine infection, such as discitis or meningitis.5. Numbness or pins and needles in the groin or glutes: This is known as saddle anesthesia and is also a sign of a serious nerve or spine condition.
If you have leg weakness, incontinence, and numbness together, you might have cauda equina syndrome, a serious illness characterized by spinal cord nerve damage. This is a medical emergency, and patients usually need surgery immediately to decompress the nerves and reduce permanent damage.
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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.
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Treatments For Pain In The Buttock Extending To The Leg
Published by admin on December 9, 2020December 9, 2020
Pain in the buttock, radiating to the leg, in most cases affects one side , although it can be bilateral. It can intensify when climbing stairs, sudden movements. A person is not comfortable sitting, and when walking, he spares his sore leg and limps.Treatments for pain in the buttock extending to the legPain can occur spontaneously. In the acute period, it does not subside even in the supine position, is accompanied by muscle spasms, increases with a change in posture, coughing. Difficulty turning the torso, bending or straightening the joints. Pain is a signal of a disorder that requires urgent help. There are various reasons causing it, including dangerous etiology. Therefore, it is important not to postpone a visit to the doctor and find out what is happening in your body.
Describing Your Leg Pain
Pain symptoms, no matter what body part they affect, can vary significantly. The pain may be dull, sharp, constant, or intermittent. But the type of leg pain you feel may help determine the source of your discomfort.
Your back may be the source of your leg pain if your symptoms include:
- Pain that radiates down your leg
- Muscle weakness in your leg
- Tingling, numbness, or burning sensation down your leg
- Pain symptoms that only affect one leg
- Electric shock sensation that travels down your leg
- Difficulty walking
You may not experience all of these symptoms. But if any of these symptoms match the type of leg pain youre experiencing, then it may be time to see us at Texas Spine Consultants for an evaluation of your spine and back, instead of seeking treatment for your legs.
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