Pain in the back, lower back, radiating to the leg is one of the most common complaints of the population, especially over 35 years of age. This makes us think that a modern city dweller, since childhood and youth, has been leading a very inharmonious lifestyle with nature, producing uneven loads on the spine throughout the day - when sitting or standing for a long time, the state of the back muscles is always in tension, and relaxation does not occur.
Moreover, after being in a sitting position for a long time, a person can perform sudden excessive physical activity in the gym, swimming pool, etc. There are many reasons for the occurrence of lower back pain that radiates to the leg, and in order to understand the etiology of its occurrence, sometimes you have to go straight to several specialists - a neurologist, orthopedist, osteopath, gynecologist, urologist, gastroenterologist.
This pain syndrome most often occurs against the background of protrusion or prolapse of the intervertebral hernia of the lumbar spine. Also, radicular lumbosacral pain also occurs due to tumor processes in the sacral plexus, tumors of the spinal cord, bursitis of the tendons of the gluteal muscles, if in addition there is a violation of sweating, this can also be caused by vasculitis - neuropathy of the sciatic nerve (ischemic).
This could be piriformis syndrome - neuropathy, pinching, inflammation of the sciatic nerve. In this case, most often the pain occurs at the exit of the sciatic nerve in the area of the piriformis muscle and spreads along the back of the thigh, down to the foot. With severe compression, pinching of the sciatic nerve, atrophy of the gluteal region may develop.
This localization - stripe-like pain can be caused by an intervertebral hernia, when the upper lumbar roots are affected, manifested by acute lumbago, weakness of the thigh muscle, and with pathology of the femoral joint, it can be accompanied by pseudoradicular irradiation. If burning pain occurs in the lateral area of the thigh, this may be tunnel syndrome of the external cutaneous nerve of the thigh - Roth-Bernard meralgia paresthetica.
Meralgia is pain on the outer skin of the thigh due to the fact that the nerve is compressed by the inguinal ligament or fascia. For example, during pregnancy, in obese people who are overweight. In addition to pain when moving, paresthesia (pins and needles, tingling) or decreased sensitivity (numbness) occurs. With rest, all symptoms usually go away.
This syndrome is caused by damage to the femoral nerve, mainly occurring after surgery in the lower abdomen, or herniotomy. These injuries are additionally accompanied by loss of the knee reflex, sensory disturbances, and weakness of the thigh muscles. in this case, motor disturbances will be more pronounced than pain. Very severe back pain radiating to the limb can occur simultaneously with atrophy of the thigh muscles, which is observed during treatment with anticoagulants and the development of retroperitoneal hematoma (accumulation of blood in the retroperitoneal space), as well as with diabetes mellitus if asymmetric proximal neuropathy develops.
In the knee joint, pain can be combined with lower back pain due to orthopedic disorders of the hip joint. And also for oncological diseases of the female genital organs, in men with prostate cancer. With fractures of the pelvic bones, numbness of the skin, crawling and pain in the obturator nerve occur, sometimes radiating to the medial region of the knee joint.
These pains are caused by excessive muscle activity, overexertion, intercostal traumatic neuropathy, as well as Scheuermann's or ankylosing spondylitis, spondylitis, transverse myelitis, thoracic spondylosis, and spinal tumors.
Most of these pains are caused by orthopedic diseases - spondylosis, osteochondrosis, spondylolisthesis, damage to the lumbar discs or their degeneration. As well as an arachnoid cyst in the sacral region, local muscle thickening in the gluteal muscles, and inflammation of the sciatic nerve. Night pain in young men may be due to ankylosing spondylitis.
We will list possible pathological, inflammatory, degenerative processes in the spine that can contribute to the development of compression lesions of the vessels, membranes, roots, and substance of the spinal cord.
Other causes of back pain radiating to the leg can be various diseases, such as: gynecological inflammatory and oncological processes, myeloma, osteoarticular tuberculosis, tuberculosis of the kidneys, female genital organs (tubsalpingitis), kidney diseases, urinary tract diseases, syphilis, sarcoidosis , occlusion of the femoral artery, brucellosis, polymyositis, duodenal ulcer, frustrating aortic aneurysm, pancreatitis, ectopic pregnancy (symptoms), post-injection complications, hormonal spondylopathy, coxarthrosis.
Based on the above, it becomes clear that there can be many reasons for such pain in the back, radiating to the leg. If the patient is bothered by such pain, treatment should begin only after a thorough diagnosis. When contacting a doctor or patient to establish a true diagnosis, a number of different diagnostic procedures and tests may be offered, based on the results of which the specialist will determine the disease and prescribe appropriate treatment:
It is clear that treatment of one pathology may be completely contraindicated for any other disorder. Only after an accurate diagnosis has been established, appropriate therapy can be carried out. In case of very severe pain, the doctor, before determining the final diagnosis, may prescribe various painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs - ointments for back pain, injections for back pain.
Lower back pain radiating to the leg is one of the most common reasons for visiting a doctor. They can come not only from the spine, but also from other parts of the body and organs.
Often, the pain can radiate to the left or right leg, then it becomes unclear which doctor to visit.
At home, it is not always possible to understand the causes of lower back pain that radiates to the leg. They are treated only after diagnosis.
There are many different types of pain that radiate to the leg. Let's look at the main three types.
This type includes spasms caused by poor posture. They limit movement to one degree or another.
Usually these are lumbar hernias, disc protrusions , etc. They lead to inflammation and thickening of the nerve endings.
Aching lumbar pain radiating to the lower limb is observed constantly, which is why the patient has to take care of his legs.
With the vegetative-vascular nature of the pain, burning and numbness occurs in the legs. These symptoms are very pronounced when the body is suddenly raised. The skin in the affected area turns pale and becomes colder.
The neurodystrophic type of pain is determined by increased sensations in the afternoon and at nightfall. Such pain is characterized by a burning sensation.
Neurodystrophy is an advanced stage of the disease.
For this reason, the blood vessels undergo great changes, the nerve endings in the lower back are pinched and inflammation forms in the spine.
The most common cause of discomfort is orthopedic diseases. Among them are spondylosis, osteochondrosis, and various intervertebral disc defects.
The sensation may occur due to the formation of a cyst near the sacrum, pinpoint thickening of the gluteal muscles and inflammation of the nerve.
You may have piriformis syndrome, which is caused by inflammation and pinching of the sciatic nerve.
Severe pain radiating to the leg is concentrated in the piriformis muscle, where the nerve exits. The whole thigh to the foot hurts very much.
Atrophy may develop in the buttocks if the sciatic nerve is pinched due to decompression.
The knee joint and lower back hurt when there is an orthopedic disorder in the hip joint. Such sensations are observed in cancer of the female and male reproductive system.
A fracture in the pelvic bone leads to numbness of the skin and the appearance of “pins and needles” in the area of the obturator nerve.
Pinched sciatic nerve with lower back pain back to contents ^
If the pain radiates from the top of the leg, and not from the bottom, then this indicates protrusion of the lumbar hernia or prolapse syndrome.
The cause of such sensations is tumors of the spinal cord and sacral plexus.
The symptom may be a sign of gluteal bursitis if sweating is impaired.
Pain radiating to the front of the leg may occur after hernia surgery. It occurs due to nerve damage in the thigh and is accompanied by weakness of the thigh muscles, protruding knee reflex and sensory dysfunction.
Intense pain radiating to the leg often accompanies muscle atrophy in the hips. The cause may be therapy with anticoagulants due to the accumulation of blood in the space behind the peritoneum.
This feature can also be observed in diabetes mellitus.
Often the lower back aches and hurts due to diseases of the heart, lungs, kidneys, digestive organs and pelvis. Discomfort occurs much less frequently during depression and prolonged stress. With similar causes of lower back pain radiating to the leg, there is no stiffness in the back.
Most often, pain is caused by the following diseases:
The cause of mild lower back pain can be nephrological diseases and ulcers.
What should you do if your lower back hurts and your right or left leg is bothering you - pulling or aching?
Of course, contact the appropriate specialist. This must be done even with a slight intensity of pain. Even the slightest aches and heaviness indicate some kind of disorder in the body.
For advice you should contact the following doctors:
Among them are specialists who are able to diagnose diseases that most often bother the lower back and back.
Only a competent diagnosis will help determine how to treat the pain coming from the lower back. The symptoms of all diseases of the musculoskeletal system are similar, so different methods are used.
Among them are the following:
During a conversation with a doctor, it is important to correctly describe the nature of the pain radiating to the leg.
They can be pulling, aching or shooting. Localized in the side, hips, back and front, above or below. Sometimes even this is enough to make the correct diagnosis.
To relieve pain that radiates to the leg, regardless of the cause, it is necessary to create appropriate conditions.
Usually the discomfort goes away after comprehensive treatment including:
For a successful outcome of the disease, many medical institutions use physiotherapeutic procedures. They speed up the rehabilitation process, restore damaged tissues and relieve tension.
Physiotherapeutic procedures include electrophoresis, mud therapy and magnetic therapy.
During manual therapy, the back is treated through physical manipulation of the spine and internal organs.
A set of physical therapy classes is compiled by a doctor depending on the type and stage of the disease.
The following groups of drugs are prescribed among medications:
In addition to pharmaceutical products, you can use traditional medicine recipes. A common component in them is clay, honey, mumiyo, and horse fat. Ointments, infusions and compresses are prepared from them.
If you do not promptly determine why your leg hurts and radiates to your leg, and do not begin treatment, this can significantly aggravate the situation.
The disease will become acute or chronic and will require surgical intervention to eliminate it.
To avoid back problems, you should attend a medical examination every year.
With deformities in the lumbar spine, the load on the muscular system occurs unevenly, which causes pain radiating to the gluteal muscles. The spine, pelvic bones and skeleton of the lower extremities are a single functional system. Therefore, any deformation or pathology in any part of this system causes an incorrect distribution of muscle tone, resulting in pain syndromes in the muscles.
Periodic or constant pain in the lower back can be:
Doctors judge the cause of pain in the lumbar region based on where it is felt and what its nature is: is it an acute pain or aching, sharp or tingling, radiating to the left buttock or right, the whole back, joints of the hips, feet and etc.
The reasons why the lower back may hurt may be diseases of the spine:
Pain in this localization can be caused by injuries - for example, rupture of intervertebral discs. Lumbar pain, spreading to the muscle area of the buttocks, is observed during inflammatory processes in the muscles, as well as inflammation and diseases of internal organs (adnexitis, cystitis, proctitis and paraproctitis), or due to prolonged and difficult labor complicated by injuries.
Therefore, despite the fact that such pain is usually addressed to a neurologist, in some cases, for an accurate diagnosis of the disease, it may be necessary to consult doctors of other profiles - therapist, orthopedist, urologist, gynecologist, gastroenterologist, endocrinologist, rheumatologist, neurologist and others.
Since pain in the lumbar region radiating to the muscles of the buttocks (both on the left and right or on both sides) is caused by various reasons, the doctor, based on anamnesis and clinical examination (assessment of muscle strength, tendon reflexes, sensitivity), may recommend undergoing a number of appropriate examinations:
Such a list of measures for lumbar pain radiating to the buttocks is far from mandatory and is selected individually, therefore, until the analysis is clarified, supportive agents are prescribed: anti-inflammatory and painkillers with an antispasmodic effect, patches, ointments and injections.
When low back pain occurs, many do not rush to see a doctor, but begin to self-medicate, which is fundamentally wrong, since this pain is a symptom that can hide serious diseases. Moreover, self-medication can complicate the course of the disease, since during such attacks, most usually begin to apply a heating pad to the lower back and apply warm compresses. These actions are wrong, as they cause even greater spasm in the muscles and increase pain. To reduce pain, cold compresses are needed to reduce spasm and relieve inflammation.
Warming and anti-inflammatory agents (gels and ointments) can be used if the pain is the result of physical overload, myositis, hypothermia, lumbodynia or bruise. But, even if lower back pain can be relieved, this does not exempt you from a mandatory visit to a doctor who will make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. Once the cause of the discomfort in the lower back has been established, treatment is prescribed - conservative or surgical - taking into account the nature of the pathology.
Conservative treatment includes a set of measures aimed at relieving pain and eliminating discomfort in the lumbar region. For this purpose, complete rest, a minimum of movement, and restorative therapy are indicated. Anti-inflammatory and painkillers are prescribed, in some cases massage and mechanical traction of the spine are performed, manual therapy and acupuncture give good results. Drug treatment for low back pain involves taking medications such as:
If lower back pain is caused by a herniated disc, trauma, or severe bone pathologies of various etiologies, surgical treatment is optimal.
Pain in the back, lower back, radiating to the leg is one of the most common complaints of the population, especially over 35 years of age.
This makes us think that a modern city dweller, since childhood and youth, has been leading a very inharmonious lifestyle with nature, producing uneven loads on the spine throughout the day - when sitting or standing for a long time, the state of the back muscles is always in tension, and relaxation does not occur.
Moreover, after being in a sitting position for a long time, a person can perform sudden excessive physical activity in the gym, swimming pool, etc.
There are many reasons for low back pain radiating to the leg, and in order to understand the etiology of its occurrence, sometimes you have to contact several specialists at once - a neurologist, orthopedist, osteopath, gynecologist, urologist, gastroenterologist.
This pain syndrome most often occurs against the background of protrusion or prolapse of the intervertebral hernia of the lumbar spine.
Also, radicular lumbosacral pain also occurs due to tumor processes in the sacral plexus, tumors of the spinal cord, bursitis of the tendons of the gluteal muscles, if in addition there is a violation of sweating, this can also be caused by vasculitis - neuropathy of the sciatic nerve (ischemic).
This could be piriformis syndrome - neuropathy, pinching, inflammation of the sciatic nerve.
In this case, most often the pain occurs at the exit of the sciatic nerve in the area of the piriformis muscle and spreads along the back of the thigh, down to the foot.
With severe compression, pinching of the sciatic nerve, atrophy of the gluteal region may develop.
This localization - stripe-like pain can be caused by an intervertebral hernia, when the upper lumbar roots are affected, manifested by acute lumbago, weakness of the thigh muscle, and with pathology of the femoral joint, it can be accompanied by pseudoradicular irradiation. If burning pain occurs in the lateral area of the thigh, this may be tunnel syndrome of the external cutaneous nerve of the thigh - Roth-Bernard meralgia paresthetica.
Meralgia is pain on the outer skin of the thigh due to the fact that the nerve is compressed by the inguinal ligament or fascia.
For example, during pregnancy, in obese people who are overweight.
In addition to pain when moving, paresthesia (pins and needles, tingling) or decreased sensitivity (numbness) occurs. With rest, all symptoms usually go away.
This syndrome is caused by damage to the femoral nerve, mainly occurring after surgery in the lower abdomen, or herniotomy.
These injuries are additionally accompanied by loss of the knee reflex, sensory disturbances, and weakness of the thigh muscles. in this case, motor disturbances will be more pronounced than pain.
Very severe back pain radiating to the limb can occur simultaneously with atrophy of the thigh muscles, which is observed during treatment with anticoagulants and the development of retroperitoneal hematoma (accumulation of blood in the retroperitoneal space), as well as with diabetes mellitus if asymmetric proximal neuropathy develops.
Pain on the anterior surface of the thigh in combination with disruption of the 4th femoris muscle (difficulty in straightening the leg and flexing the thigh) is very pronounced - lesions of the 3-4 lumbar roots.
In the knee joint, pain can be combined with lower back pain due to orthopedic disorders of the hip joint.
And also for oncological diseases of the female genital organs, in men with prostate cancer.
With fractures of the pelvic bones, numbness of the skin, crawling and pain in the obturator nerve occur, sometimes radiating to the medial region of the knee joint.
Most of these pains are caused by orthopedic diseases - spondylosis, osteochondrosis, spondylolisthesis, damage to the lumbar discs or their degeneration.
As well as an arachnoid cyst in the sacral region, local muscle thickening in the gluteal muscles, and inflammation of the sciatic nerve.
Night pain in young men may be due to ankylosing spondylitis.
However, you should know that not in all cases when lower back pain radiates to the leg, the causes are disorders in the spinal column; there are many other pathological processes that cause this syndrome.
In addition, the following diseases are not associated with musculoskeletal disorders:
Based on the above, it becomes clear that there can be many reasons for such pain in the back, radiating to the leg. If the patient is bothered by such pain, treatment should begin only after a thorough diagnosis.
When contacting a doctor or patient to establish a true diagnosis, a number of different diagnostic procedures and tests may be offered, based on the results of which the specialist will determine the disease and prescribe appropriate treatment:
It is clear that treatment of one pathology may be completely contraindicated for any other disorder.
Only after an accurate diagnosis has been established, appropriate therapy can be carried out.
In case of very severe pain, the doctor, before determining the final diagnosis, may prescribe various painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs - ointments for back pain, injections for back pain.
Lower back pain, radiating to the right leg and other parts of the body, is a common complaint of modern people.
Most often, old people and expectant mothers suffer from unpleasant sensations, although recently cases of the problem appearing at an earlier age have become significantly more frequent.
Initially, this symptom is eliminated quite easily, but as it progresses it can lead to disruption of the internal organs, paralysis or even death.
It just so happens that most people do not know the causes of back pain in the lumbar region and do not consider them quite serious, but in vain. Such symptoms can be quite dangerous.
This section is the terminal part of the spine and connects the upper and lower halves of the human body.
As medical practice shows, this part of the back worries most often, because it bears the maximum load. There are many nerve endings collected here that can become pinched and inflamed for various reasons.
It is not possible to determine the presence of any disease by the presence of pain.
The causes of back pain in the lumbar region may be as follows:
In some cases, lower back pain radiates to the right leg and can be a symptom of the following diseases:
Often the symptom is caused by a combination of the above reasons.
Often back pain radiating to the leg can be caused by:
The list of factors that are one way or another related to the development of pain syndrome is quite extensive, so you should not make a diagnosis yourself. You can voice your assumptions about the root cause of the pain to the doctor, who may be helped to understand the current situation.
If lower back pain radiates to the right leg, this worries many. But few people go to the doctor, especially if it is minor and can be easily eliminated with the help of painkillers from the home medicine cabinet.
For this reason, most of the detected diseases are already in an advanced form and are difficult to treat. Therefore, all patients need to monitor their condition and be sure to visit a doctor if:
Such conditions can be very dangerous, so you should not take any medications. In most cases, they relieve only symptomatic manifestations, but the cause remains and often gets worse.
What to do for lower back pain is of interest to many. To find out the cause and make an accurate diagnosis, you need to come for a consultation with a general practitioner, who, after a preliminary examination, will give further direction to:
If he has additional suspicions, the list can be supplemented:
After receiving all the necessary data, the patient will be given a referral to the following specialists:
Most often, there is a need to visit several doctors at once, especially when the diagnosis is in doubt.
Treatment of lower back pain radiating to the leg requires an integrated approach and is selected depending on many factors:
Main goals of treatment:
If the cause lies in pathologies of the spine, then the following are most often prescribed:
In the presence of pathology of internal organs, treatment is selected individually and requires an integrated approach.
It is strictly forbidden to use traditional medicine methods, since many pathologies progress rapidly (for example, cancer), and a patient who does not consult a doctor in a timely manner loses precious time.
If you experience lower back pain, you can easily eliminate it with a set of special exercises.
Their main action is aimed at restoring metabolic processes occurring in the problem area.
Properly selected gymnastics allows you to:
It should be borne in mind that the attending physician should select a set of exercises, because incorrect and sudden movements can greatly aggravate the problem, up to the need for surgery.
During therapeutic exercises, you need to know that:
These procedures can be performed as additional therapy for osteochondrosis of the final spine and other degenerative changes in this area.
Indications for using the method are:
An absolute contraindication to such treatment is exacerbation. In this case, symptomatic therapy is first prescribed, and then proceed to massage.
It is prohibited to carry it out when:
The procedure is carried out using one of the methods recommended by the doctor.
The following types of massage are used:
This type of treatment can be an excellent preparation before a daily set of exercises.
“What to do for lower back pain if complex treatment has not yielded positive results?” patients who have undergone a course of ineffective therapy often ask. In this case, surgical intervention can be performed, but doctors resort to this method as a last resort, when there is no way to do without it.
Indications for surgery on the terminal spine may include:
In cases where a herniated disc is detected, surgery is not always performed. If possible, conservative methods, physiotherapy, etc. are first used.
Such an intervention is quite dangerous for the patient, since there is always the possibility of complications developing that can cause negative consequences.
In the absence of timely diagnosis, nagging pain in the lower back and right leg can result in the following consequences for the patient:
These are very serious diseases, so you should seriously think about ignoring the next signal from your body.
In most cases, if lower back pain radiates to the right leg, it occurs as a result of an unhealthy lifestyle, so to prevent an unpleasant symptom you need to follow a few simple tips:
Based on all of the above, we can conclude: if the patient has pain in the lower back and the right leg, as well as other parts of the body, go numb, this can be a rather dangerous symptom.
Self-medication in this case is contraindicated.
In order to prevent serious problems in the future, it is necessary to take care of the health of your back from an early youth, otherwise you will later have to pay for an unhealthy lifestyle with osteochondrosis, radiculitis, and other things.
The most common reason for visiting a neurologist is lower back pain that radiates to the legs. Unfortunately, not only elderly people, but also fairly young people of 30–35 years old, and sometimes even teenagers, come to doctors with such complaints.
It is worth noting that lower back pain is a very serious symptom that requires prompt diagnosis, an accurate diagnosis and, of course, treatment, since the disease can quickly become chronic, which will complicate the treatment process.
In the case when the lower back hurts and radiates to the leg, it is important to determine the root cause of this condition.
Pain in the sacrum radiating to the legs belongs to the following groups of diseases:
In general, if the lower back hurts on the right side and the pain also radiates to the right leg, then, most likely, there are diseases in the right-sided internal organs, and vice versa, pain on the left side of the lower back, correspondingly radiating to the left leg, signals diseases of the left-sided organs. This may also mean the development of an inflammatory process due to tissue degeneration or a pinched nerve.
There are a number of diseases that cause pain in the lower back and legs:
With a sharp turn of the body, as well as when lifting weights, so-called sciatica can develop, in which pain in the sacrum spreads to the leg and buttocks.
Chronic or subacute lumbar pain, in which the legs become numb and swollen, is called lumbodynia.
This pain occurs when the structure of the intervertebral discs is damaged.
Lumboischalgia is characterized by the following manifestations:
It is known that when nerves are pinched, the lower back also hurts and radiates to the leg; a hernia, osteochondrosis or oncology can provoke such a condition. The pain in these cases is paroxysmal, severe, and even more intense with physical stress.
Pain in the lumbar spine, radiating to the leg, can occur due to physical overload, for example, after the gym or due to hard work.
It is worth highlighting another reason for the occurrence of pain symptoms in the lower back that are transmitted to the leg - these are disturbances in the development of the spine and disorders of muscle and nervous tissues caused by genetic predisposition.
When you do not know the reasons why your lower back hurts and the pain radiates to the buttock and leg, whether it is nagging or, on the contrary, sharp and paroxysmal, you should not hesitate to visit a medical facility.
With such complaints, you may need to consult several specialists at the same time: a therapist, gastroenterologist, orthopedist, neurologist and urologist (gynecologist), since the causes of pain, as mentioned earlier, can be a variety of diseases.
After conducting an examination, it is most likely that the therapist will refer the patient to a specialist with a more narrow specialization.
To accurately diagnose pain in the sacrum, the following procedures are performed:
In some cases, additional examinations are carried out, including: glucose tolerance test, osteoscintigraphy, excision of lymph nodes, sigmoidoscopy.
Of course, therapy carried out for one disorder may be absolutely contraindicated for any other pathology. Therefore, establishing an accurate diagnosis is extremely important, and only when confident of its correctness does the doctor prescribe appropriate treatment.
Various pathologies of the spinal column are treated, as a rule, with conservative methods. The most effective methods are:
If the lower back hurts and radiates to the leg due to the presence of a large intervertebral hernia, osteomyelitis or tumors, then surgical intervention may be used.
If urolithiasis or urolithiasis is diagnosed, then, as a rule, analgesics, litholytic and antispasmodic drugs are prescribed. Surgery (cystolithotomy) may be indicated in emergency cases.
Very often, lower back pain and leg strain occur during OMT diseases in women, for the treatment of which doctors prescribe anti-inflammatory medications.
Everyone knows that not a single problem associated with the musculoskeletal system can be solved only with medication, without physical activity.
A well-chosen set of therapeutic exercises and their regularity effectively normalize muscle tone and improve well-being.
Getting rid of painful sensations is possible thanks to therapeutic exercises, however, the loads must be dosed. Yoga classes can be considered a gentle option.
However, it should be understood that physical exercise can be beneficial if there is no severe pain, otherwise the health condition will only worsen. If your lower back hurts and radiates to your left leg, right leg or side, then you should hold off on physical therapy.
Any preventive measures for lumbar pain are always aimed at eliminating the causes leading to lower back pain, which can radiate to the leg.
It is very important to prevent hypothermia of the back, legs and the body as a whole; you should not be in drafts. Physical overload and lifting heavy objects are unacceptable.
Women should not abuse uncomfortable high-heeled shoes, as the load on the spine increases due to a shift in the center of gravity.
All year round, nutrition should be nutritious, balanced, fortified and moderate, due to which the weight will remain normal and, accordingly, the load on the spine will be reduced, and destructive processes in the nerves and cartilage will not develop.
If necessary, patients can be prescribed chondroprotectors for preventive purposes - medications that improve the functioning of intervertebral discs and block degenerative processes in them.
If pain in the lower back radiates to the leg, then regardless of whether the pain is acute, dull, aching or another type, you should under no circumstances endure it or try to recover on your own.
Any pharmaceutical preparations, as well as home remedies, are allowed to be used only after consultation with an experienced specialist, having received his permission.
And, of course, you shouldn’t forget about measures to prevent back pain in order to maintain your health for many years.
Back pain radiates to the leg - this problem often worries people over 35 years of age. However, most often, pathology begins to develop much earlier.
From early childhood, due to improper distribution of the load on the spine, constant tension is created for the back muscles.
As a result, deviations appear after many years.
You can spot such a person on the street by his limping gait. Often, every step is accompanied by pain.
Such symptoms are not a separate disease. If lower back pain radiates to the leg, deviations of adjacent systems are most likely to blame.
The pain syndrome was generally called lumboischialgia.
The term lumboischialgia helps group common causes of back and leg pain.
The most common causes of the development of pathology are physical exertion and severe hypothermia.
But due to the fact that pain syndrome symbolizes a violation of individual systems and organs, it is impossible to establish the permanent nature and localization of pain.
Doctors note that the pain can be strong, weak, aching or burning. Discomfort radiates to the legs or lower back.
Thanks to numerous studies, experts have been able to establish that lower back pain radiating to the leg has different clinical manifestations:
You need to understand that the forms of lumboischialgia can be combined. Moreover, symptoms are not observed all the time.
Painful sensations vary in frequency and are often replaced by remission.
Therefore, it is difficult to timely identify the disease that has become the root cause of why the lower back hurts or the legs go numb.
Severe back pain radiating to the leg is easier to prevent than to cure. Therefore, it is important to know what to do to prevent pain.
It is important to know that pain radiating to the leg occurs for various reasons. Often, treatment is carried out by several doctors at once. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the etiology of the pain syndrome, and only then take response measures correctly aimed at the source of deviations.
Symptoms of this nature often indicate the development of protrusion. If the case where the pain radiates to the hip is advanced, prolapse of the intervertebral hernia affecting the lumbar region is possible.
There are several other diseases associated with radicular pain:
When your back hurts and radiates to your upper leg, the source of the problem may be vasculitis or neuropathy of the sciatic nerve. Such diseases are often accompanied by impaired sweating.
The pain is dull in nature and affects the piriformis muscle, where the sciatic nerve exits. It radiates along the back of the reed, all the way to the foot.
The legs may become sore due to damage to the sciatic nerve. There are several types of deviations:
When the lower back hurts and radiates to the left leg, it is recommended to be examined for an intervertebral hernia. As a rule, damage to the upper lumbar roots leads to weakening of the femoral muscles and the appearance of discomfort on the right or left.
The appearance of a burning pain that radiates to the right leg indicates another pathology - tunnel syndrome, which affects the external cutaneous nerve of the femoral leg. The disease is also known as Roth-Bernard meralgia paresthetica.
When lower back pain radiates to the left or right leg, doctors can diagnose meralgia. This disease worries obese people, as well as pregnant women.
The pain syndrome is explained by high loads on the nerve, which is pinched by the fascia or inguinal ligament. The thighs may feel numb or tingly, the most common symptoms for this disease.
Damage to the femoral nerve causes the lower back to suffer and radiates to the front of the leg. Similar symptoms often occur during the postoperative period in patients who have undergone hernia repair and other surgical interventions affecting the lower abdomen.
Other characteristic symptoms include:
It is worth paying attention to lower back pain radiating to the leg and the reasons for its occurrence. Discomfort is often accompanied by atrophy of the femoral muscle.
A complication is possible with asymmetric proximal neuropathy if the patient suffers from diabetes.
The problem also arises due to the use of anticoagulants, which contribute to the filling of the retroperitoneal space with blood.
The cause of discomfort may be one or more diseases associated with degenerative processes of the spine. These include:
In medical practice, there are cases when pain in the back is not associated with deviations of the musculoskeletal mechanism. These include the following diseases:
It is clear that there can be many reasons for back pain and leg strain. Therefore, if your lower back ache, and the pain begins to radiate to the limbs, you should consult a doctor for advice.
Comprehensive diagnostics involves many procedures and tests:
In rare cases, in order to prescribe the safest possible treatment, the doctor may prescribe specific tests:
Pain radiating to the lower extremities may indicate the development of a more serious disease.
Therefore, it is strongly recommended to consult your doctor for advice before starting self-medication.
True, situations arise when you need to quickly get rid of pain at home for a while.
The easiest and most effective way is to assume the fetal position.
If one leg hurts:
If both legs hurt:
Only an experienced specialist, having examined the lower spine and other probable affected areas, is able to establish the true cause of the deviations.
Based on the information received, the doctor will prescribe treatment that relieves nagging pain syndrome, combined with the individual characteristics of the body.