Back and Leg PainLower back and leg pain is one of the most common patient complaints and also one of the most agonizing. This combination is very hard for a patient to deal with, since it really cuts down on their mobility and functionality. The same processes which often source lower back pain are typically the same which might affect the nerves that control the movement and feeling in our legs. Pain that develops in the lumbar spine will often radiate downwards to the thighs, knees, calves, ankles or feet. These lower body radicular pain conditions are generally diagnosed as sciatica. However, it is crucial to remember that sciatica is merely a symptom itself, never a causative condition.Back and Leg Pain from Nerve InvolvementNerve compression usually takes place in one of the nerve roots that eventually join to form the sciatic nerve. The following conditions are all associated with leg and lower back pain due to nerve involvement: 
Back and Leg Pain from Muscular InjuryThe lower back muscles work closely with the buttocks and upper leg muscles. It is common for a muscular injury in the lower back to affect the usage of these muscles, as well. Back muscle pain can also change a person’s posture and gait. Sometimes this change creates stress in the ankles, knees or feet. This change can cause pain in the affected areas of the legs. Muscular pain can be very severe, but is usually not serious. Most muscular pain will correct itself in a matter of days or weeks.I can definitely say from personal experience that symptoms in the postural muscles are some of the most painful expressions of any health condition a person might ever face in their lives. There are just no words for the worst cases of postural muscle pain which can make even the strongest and most resilient patient into a hopeless, inconsolable shell of their former selves. Recommendation for Back and Leg PainI have dealt with this killer combo for decades already. My lower back pain always made my legs hurt and it still does. Sometimes, the pain would burn and radiate down both legs. Other times, my ankles throbbed. I had a series of knee injuries in martial arts training that I believe came about from poor posture in training. This posture change was definitely a result of my chronic back pain. There have been years at a time during my back pain experience, when my upper and outer thighs hurt 24/7. Sitting, standing, walking or sleeping made no difference to the pain. It simply continued around the clock. Now, the sciatica seems worse when lying down. Maybe it is just the ferocity of all my other symptoms which has taken my mind off it to a large degree.Back and leg conditions can be a real trial. Proper diagnosis of the root cause is the best hope for successful treatment. Make sure to inform your care provider of any changes in your normal back pain. Symptoms that spread to the legs, or change often in the legs, should be reported to your physician and should always be subjected to neurological evaluation. Remember that ischemia is often the underlying source of lower body pain and discomfort. If your pain has defied treatment, I urge you to add this oxygen deprivation process to your list of considerations as a possible causation of your agony. Back and Leg Pain to Back Pain 7/29/06 Revised 1/18/12 |
Sensei Adam Rostocki
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