Pain in the sacrum radiating to the leg is a consequence of the inflammatory process, sometimes resulting from the mechanical impact of the roots of the spinal cord and the sciatic nerve. It is equally common in both men and women aged 40–45 years. The skin in the lumbar region and legs becomes numb. The cause may be osteoporosis, osteophytes, or spinal injuries.
Pain irrigating in the leg may occur due to thrombophlebitis of the pelvic veins, neoplasms, or old spinal injuries. The cause may be congenital pathology of the spine, infection, metabolic disorders in the patient’s body.
In women, this soreness is a consequence of gynecological diseases or may be a harbinger of approaching menstruation. In male patients, pain and discomfort are provoked by prostatitis, constant stress and emotional overload.
Clinical picture of the disease: pain in the sacrum, irrigating to the legs; back muscle tone; stiffness of movements. The legs become numb, and “goosebumps” appear in the palms. It hurts to bend over, and with a hernia the pain becomes even stronger. They radiate to the groin or legs. Most often, discomfort appears in the morning, and in the evening the discomfort subsides.
If the bones in the sacral area are shifted to the left or right, then the blood supply to the limbs is disrupted. When displaced to the right side, the bones of the sacrum can radiate to the right leg and vice versa. My legs cramp and my muscles ache. In addition to these symptoms, the patient has impaired functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. The result is bowel dysfunction and the person loses weight. Women have problems in the field of gynecology.
If the sacrum bone is displaced to the left side, the functioning of the heart and lungs worsens; a person often catches a cold. With this shift, a person adds extra pounds. He begins to become constipated.
Thrombophlebitis can be a consequence of surgery; it appears in women after childbirth, during an inflammatory process in the pelvic organs.
Sometimes thrombophlebitis of the pelvic and iliac veins occurs due to the spread of the disease starting in the legs. Symptoms: pain in the vagina, bladder, lumbar region. It can irrigate the feet. A person pays attention to the sensation of “pins and needles” that appears in the limbs. They swell and the veins on them expand.
Painful sensations also begin due to diseases of the pelvic organs. For example, with prostatitis, a man feels a burning sensation when urinating, and potency worsens. Painful sensations radiate into the leg, the genitals hurt, and discomfort begins in the rectum. The nature of the pain varies: from aching to acute spasmodic pain. During acute attacks, the patient simply cannot sleep.
Often a person suspects that radiculitis is developing and tries to be treated with rubs and ointments.
Pain in the sacrum often bothers women on the eve of menstruation. Unpleasant sensations seem to spread throughout the entire abdominal cavity, radiating to the sacrum, lower back, and hips. Discomfort occurs due to deviation of the uterus. Before critical days, it increases in size and puts pressure on the nerves in the sacral area.
In addition to premenstrual pain, the causes of discomfort include endometriosis, parametritis, cancer, changes in the position of the uterus (prolapse, deviation, prolapse) or relaxation of the uterosacral ligaments.
If the pain is aching and becomes stronger when walking or other movements, then often the cause is pinched sciatic nerve.
If the pinching occurs on one side or the inflammation is localized in one place, then the pain will be on the left or right side.
When the roots are pinched on both sides, the pain is stronger and irrigates into the pelvis. The skin becomes numb, motor activity worsens, legs weaken, and a person pulls his leg when walking. The patient complains that his legs stop working and seem to be taken away. In particularly difficult cases, defecation and urination are impaired.
If unpleasant sensations recur periodically, the patient should see a doctor, for example, a gynecologist, neurologist or traumatologist. The doctor will identify the exact cause and prescribe treatment.
First of all, the doctor will try to understand what the cause is: the disease of the spine itself or is it another disease. He will examine the patient and listen to the patient’s complaints. For a more accurate diagnosis, tomography and x-rays are used. These methods will help to exclude neoplasms and look at the condition of the pelvic and sacral bones. Women are examined using MRI.
The primary goal of the attending physician should be to eliminate the underlying disease that caused the pain and discomfort. This requires an integrated approach that combines several treatment methods.
If the pain is acute, the doctor prescribes oral analgesics that relieve pain or injections. Blockade with lidocaine, Kenalog or novocaine is used less frequently. The blockade is done in the spine, joints, and other places where the inflammatory process is localized.
The doctor may prescribe manual therapy procedures, acupuncture treatment or massage courses to the patient. These techniques block pain, eliminate displacement of organs, and relieve muscle tone. They improve blood supply to the affected area and stimulate lymph outflow.
UHF, SMT and other procedures relieve swelling of soft tissues and relieve inflammation. After them, the patient feels a restoration of motor activity in the lumbar region and buttock muscles. The course of physiotherapy is selected individually and depends on the diagnosis, the presence or absence of complications and other factors.
During the recovery period, when acute pain is relieved, doctors recommend engaging in physical therapy. This could include stretching exercises. They are done calmly, without sudden movements and rhythmically. The number of repetitions of each exercise varies from 8 to 12 times. The number of approaches increases every week.
In particularly difficult cases of spinal cord tumors and hernias, treatment is carried out only through surgery.
If it is not possible to cure the disease completely or the pain returns again and again, doctors recommend wearing a lumbosacral corset with a medium degree of rigidity. This corset is selected individually. It slightly restricts the patient’s movements, but removes excess stress from the spine. You can wear it at home, work in it or drive a car. When the pain stops bothering the patient, the corset is removed.
The choice and wearing of a corset should be approached correctly:
To treat pain in the sacral area, traditional medicine recipes based on natural products can be used. Such treatment cannot replace medication, but may be part of a set of measures to relieve pain.
Any pain reaction of the body creates discomfort for a person. I want to get rid of it as soon as possible. But before taking any measures, you should always understand that it is provoked by a specific reason or a complex of reasons. In our article we will look in more detail at why lower back pain radiates to the leg, what can cause it, and what treatment methods exist.
Problem situations with the back in the lumbar region can never be defined as unambiguous. They arise due to diseases of the lower spine, inflammation of the spinal cord. Pain reactions are also varied: the back in the lumbar region can ache, become numb, pull, and sometimes patients use the word “taken away” in their speech. Only a full medical examination will help establish the true cause of the pain syndrome.
The variety of causes of pain reactions in the lower back, which result in pain in the leg, are conventionally divided into several types.
Pain in the lumbar spine is also caused by all kinds of gynecological diseases, as well as disorders of the kidneys and urinary system. In some of them, pain in the lower back radiates to the buttock and leg.
The program “Live Healthy” discusses this problem.
The main causes of back pain in the lumbar region include the following diseases.
This is not an exhaustive list of why pain occurs in the lower back, radiating to the leg. But any of these reasons requires increased attention.
Pain caused by sacroiliac syndrome is discussed in the video below.
In any such situation, in no case should you ignore it, hoping that the pain in the lower back will disappear on its own. At the first signs of pain, you should consult a specialist.
If your back hurts, your leg hurts right down to your foot, or there is tension in the lower abdomen, the doctor will refer the person for a comprehensive examination. The following examinations are most often prescribed:
Help from a gastroenterologist is possible if a feeling of heaviness is added to the pain in the lower back on the right. This symptom is inherent in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. If swelling of the limbs and changes in urine are observed, then it is necessary to visit a nephrologist to determine the presence of kidney diseases.
At the time of exacerbation of lower back pain, radiating to the left, right leg or buttock, treatment is primarily aimed at relieving the pain reaction. For this it is recommended:
The use of medications alleviates the patient’s condition and relieves inflammation in the lower back. Based on their mode of action, medications used in these situations are divided into the following groups.
Women during pregnancy should pay special attention to the use of medications, because possible contraindications.
Only a doctor can recommend taking medications. When using them, you must strictly observe the dosage and carefully follow the instructions for use.
As additional supportive measures, if a person has lower back pain and radiates to the leg, a system of procedures is used. They are necessary to reduce painful reactions, improve blood flow, and restore metabolic processes. In the absence of contraindications, it is recommended:
A course course of any of these procedures is required; a repetition of the course is usually prescribed after 2-3 weeks.
For lower back pain on the right or left, wearing a bandage often helps. Elderly people also wear a warming belt for the same purpose. It can be made from a regular scarf or shawl. They also rub the sore spot with special means that have a warming effect, they remarkably reduce pain.
In addition to the above measures, physical therapy complexes are often used. A specially selected system of exercises can reduce or even completely eliminate lower back pain. This is possible by observing the principle of regularity and compliance of exercises with age and physique.
In the most difficult cases, the patient may be offered a solution to the problem through surgery.
During the remission stage, doctors recommend an integrated approach. This may include the following measures.
Thus, pain in the lumbar spine that radiates to the leg may be a symptom of a serious illness. Don't ignore it, hoping it will stop on its own. Of course, in emergency cases, the pain syndrome can be relieved for a while on your own. But only a doctor can solve the problem.
Back pain that radiates to the leg is a fairly common complaint among people over 35 years of age.
This symptom is quite serious, since if left untreated it can become chronic.
Let's take a closer look at why the right back hurts and radiates to the right leg, as well as how to cope with this ailment.
Pathological back pain radiating to the leg is called lumoischalgia. In this condition, pain can radiate to one or both legs at once.
Simply put, this condition is regarded as one of the subtypes of radiculitis. In this case, the person’s lumbar nerve is damaged, which leads to very sharp, growing and nagging pain.
The causes of this condition may be:
1. Hernia of the spine.
2. Deforming osteoarthritis.
3. Various pathologies of the spine (congenital or acquired).
5. Pregnancy (especially in the third trimester).
6. Stresses that provoke metabolic disorders in cartilage tissue and nerves.
7. Excessive physical stress on the spine (hard work, too active sports training, etc.).
9. Radicular syndrome (a condition in which the functions of the fingers are impaired due to nerve damage).
10. Sciatica can develop with a sharp turn or rapid lifting of heavy objects. In this case, the pain will spread to the buttocks, lower leg and foot.
11. Lumbodynia (develops when the structure of the intervertebral discs is damaged). May cause swelling of the extremities, pain, and even loss of sensation in the legs.
12. A pinched nerve can occur with the development of oncological pathologies, osteochondrosis or hernia. In this case, the pain will be paroxysmal, intensifying after physical activity.
13. Tuberculosis in the lumbar spine.
14. Displacement of intervertebral discs.
Additional reasons that may cause back pain and pain in the leg are:
4. Spinal fracture.
5. Disc protrusion.
8. Vertebral osteomyelitis.
11. Chronic form of meningitis.
13. Very severe circulatory disorders.
14. Kidney diseases.
15. Duodenal ulcer.
16. Tuberculosis of the kidneys or female genital organs.
17. The presence of an inflammatory process in the body.
20. Diseases of the urinary system.
The following symptoms and manifestations are characteristic of lumbar ischialgia:
1. Pain during exercise.
2. Sharp pain when trying to turn around or stand up.
3. Aching pain that occurs at night.
4. Impossibility of normal functioning of the lower back due to acute attacks of pain.
5. Numbness of the leg.
6. Partial loss of sensation in the leg.
7. Burning sensation in the buttocks, radiating to the lower leg and foot.
8. Due to poor circulation, the color of the leg may change.
9. Stitching pain that occurs after long walks.
10. Aching pain that develops after lifting heavy objects or sitting for a long time.
If pain of this nature occurs, you need to contact several doctors at once: a therapist, a gynecologist (urologist), a gastroenterologist, a neurologist and an orthopedist. This is due to the fact that the causes of such pain can be a variety of diseases.
After the examination, the doctor (therapist) can refer the patient to a specialist with a more narrow treatment focus.
To correctly diagnose back pain, you should undergo the following examinations:
1. Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity.
4. General blood test.
5. Advanced biochemical blood test.
6. General urine analysis.
8. Examination of the sacral spine.
9. CSF culture.
10. Muscle biopsy.
11. X-ray of the leg.
12. Checking blood pressure.
Today, lumoischalgia can be treated comprehensively. The main goal of such therapy is to relieve pain and inflammation in the patient.
Drug treatment involves taking the following groups of drugs:
1. Anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibuprofen, Ketanov, Diclofenac). They can be in tablet form, or in the form of ointments and gels.
2. Decongestants (Lasix, Furosemide, ointment based on horse chestnut or snake venom).
3. Medicines to relieve spasms (No-shpa, Trental, Nihexin).
4. Analgesics are prescribed for severe pain (Sedalgin, Ketarol, Paracetamol).
5. Vitamin complexes.
6. Drugs that improve blood circulation.
Physiotherapeutic treatment includes:
1. Performing magnetic therapy.
2. Massage treatment. It is best to conduct a whole course of massage, which will include at least twenty sessions.
3. Prescription of acupuncture.
4. Conducting diadynamic currents.
6. Stretching the spine using special devices.
7. Performing therapeutic exercises.
Manual therapy is also considered quite effective for treating back pain. It is best performed when the pain radiates to the leg and continues for quite a long time.
It is important to know that manual therapy has many contraindications, so you should consult a doctor before performing it. In addition, it must be performed by a qualified specialist with extensive experience.
In addition to traditional treatment, you can use traditional medicine recipes. The most effective of them are:
He prepares this way:
• mix 50 ml of alcohol and two egg whites;
• soak a bandage in the prepared mixture and apply to the lower back;
• leave for two hours, then take a warm shower;
• repeat the procedure three times a week.
To prepare it you need:
• mix 50 g of black pepper and 150 ml of alcohol;
• pour the mixture into a glass container and close the lid tightly;
• leave for two weeks;
• rub the prepared infusion on your back, then wrap it in a warm blanket;
• repeat the procedure twice a week.
3. Warming mustard remedy:
• mix two tablespoons of mustard powder, a spoonful of almond oil and 100 ml of oak bark decoction;
• make lotions from this product daily.
Prepare this way:
• take dandelion root, lavender, chamomile, horsetail and yarrow;
• measure all ingredients in equal quantities and chop them;
• pour 400 ml of water and boil for half an hour;
• then add 100 g of pork fat;
• soak a bandage with the prepared product and apply to the sore lower back;
• leave it like this for an hour, then take a warm shower.
• fill the bath with warm water;
• add 200 g of sea salt;
• add 5 drops of lavender and grape seed essential oil;
• pour in lemon juice (50 ml);
• take a bath for twenty minutes, then dress in warm clothes and try to warm up.
• chop 100 g of hop cones;
• mix it with 150 g of lard;
• leave it like this for a week;
• lubricate the lower back with the prepared ointment;
• apply a napkin on top;
• repeat the procedure for two weeks.
• brew a spoonful of chopped St. John's wort in 200 ml of boiling water;
• leave for ten minutes;
• drink a tablespoon twice a day for a month.
Before starting to use traditional medicine recipes, you should consult your doctor for contraindications.
Lower back pain can occur due to many factors, so to prevent its occurrence you should follow these tips:
1. Lead an active lifestyle. It is recommended to exercise at least twice a week. The most beneficial sports for the musculoskeletal system are swimming, gymnastics, yoga and fitness. You can also practice dancing.
2. Avoid high-heeled shoes. It is best to wear comfortable shoes with orthopedic soles.
3. Dress appropriately for the weather and avoid hypothermia and drafts, especially in the lumbar area.
4. Correctly set the center of gravity, especially when carrying heavy things. It is best to distribute the load evenly (carry bags not in one, but in both hands).
5. Do not lift anything suddenly.
6. Avoid excessive stress on the legs, lower back and spine.
7. Give up bad habits (smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages).
8. Monitor your weight and prevent obesity.
9. During periods of exacerbation of back pain, you should immediately consult a doctor and avoid any physical activity.
10. It is very important to eat right. The diet should be well balanced and healthy. It should be based on fermented milk products (they are rich in calcium), cereals, fresh vegetables and fruits, cheeses, nuts and juices. You also need to eat several times a day (5-6) so as not to overeat, but at the same time saturate your body with useful microelements.
11. As an additional strengthening of the body, it is recommended to take vitamin complexes from time to time.
12. Treat in a timely manner diseases of the musculoskeletal system and internal organs, which in advanced form can provoke the occurrence of lower back pain.
13. Control your emotions and prevent emotional overstrain (stress, depression, neuroses, etc.).
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When back pain radiates to the leg, this is a fairly well-known problem for many. In most cases, people believe that the problem is in the spine, and it is not very often that they are wrong in their assumptions. But osteochondrosis is not the only possible disease that causes such pain.
Osteochondrosis is the most common cause of back pain
In fact, osteochondrosis and its consequences are the most common cause of lower back pain. But it is not the only one, and ignoring such pain can cause serious harm to your body.
In particular, pain of this type may indicate urolithiasis. In this case, the pain can be very strong and not have a clear localization, so people often mistakenly believe that the problem is in the back. However, when it comes to colic, any doctor will quickly figure out the reasons. But in this case, you should still consult a doctor, since the pain is very severe, often simply unbearable.
There are many other diseases that cause back pain that radiates to the leg. For example, pyelonephritis, inflammation of the uterine appendages, cystitis, etc. Such pain can appear with problems of the prostate gland, if we are talking about men, and in women it simply accompanies menstruation. In some cases, an attack of acute appendicitis may also begin with back pain.
You shouldn’t wait for this type of pain to go away on its own - there is a risk of simply not waiting for this moment, causing yourself additional troubles along the way!
When back pain radiates to the leg, the cause most often lies in the spine. But such pain has several names. These names refer to various pain syndromes in which pain of this kind appears:
What should a doctor do in such a situation? Especially in those cases when you, in a tone that does not tolerate objections, demand from him strong painkillers in order to eliminate the pain that interferes so much with you in everyday life. What kind of reaction do you want from the doctor - for him to cure you, or give you the drugs that you require? Since attempts to convince you are usually unsuccessful, your doctor warns you that this is not an option. This is if the doctor is experienced and responsible. And a young and inexperienced doctor will simply give you the required prescription.
And what will happen next? For some time you will be able to “numb out” the pain with another drug, firmly believing that this will relieve you of the problem. In fact, the opposite is true - you are simply trying to “hide” from the pain, and the disease gradually progresses .
In fact, in such a situation, anti-inflammatory drugs are mainly used, they are the ones that provide the desired effect - inflammation subsides and pain disappears. Otherwise, treatment can vary greatly and depend entirely on what caused the pain. Only massage and therapeutic exercises used in the treatment of almost all back diseases remain common.
So if you want to get rid of pain once and for all, then contact an experienced specialist and follow his recommendations, he knows best how to save you from such unpleasant pain syndromes.
By the way, you may also be interested in the following FREE materials:
Lower back pain radiating to the leg occurs due to irritation of sensitive nerve fibers at the point where they exit the spinal canal. There are many reasons for such irritation; they are conventionally divided into vertebrogenic and non-vertebrogenic. Vertebrogenic causes are associated with a pathological process in the spine, these include:
The nature and localization of pain in the lower back and legs depend on the location and severity of the inflammatory process or infringement. There are several main localizations of pain:
If the process of inflammation or infringement is one-sided, then pain occurs only on the right or left, that is, on the side of the lesion. Less often, inflammation affects the roots on both sides, so the pain is more intense and covers a large area of the body. In addition to pain, pinching or inflammation of the spinal roots or fibers of the sciatic nerve may manifest itself with additional symptoms that also need to be paid attention to:
Diagnostics is aimed at finding out the reasons that led to this condition. To carry it out, the main ones are instrumental diagnostic methods - radiography of the spine, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, ultrasound of the joints. Determining the presence of systemic autoimmune connective tissue diseases involves a laboratory blood test for their markers.
Pain in the lower back and legs requires an integrated approach to its treatment. The first priority is pain relief and inflammation relief. The following approaches are used for this:
After relief of acute pain, complex therapy is carried out aimed at eliminating the cause of such pain and restoring the affected nerve fibers:
The appearance of pain in the back or sacrum with its irradiation to the legs is a reason to consult a doctor for an in-depth study. This will make it possible to find out the causes of this condition and carry out adequate and effective treatment.
Many people experience lower back pain; constant discomfort makes them wonder - what could it be, what is the reason ? What to do for acute lower back pain? What is nighttime lower back pain and why does it occur? How and what to treat unpleasant symptoms?
You will receive answers to all these questions from chiropractor Pavel Melnik.
So, pain in the lumbar region is a consequence of various processes in our body - from banal obesity and a sedentary lifestyle to serious degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the spine or pathologies of other origins.
Lower back pain has different localizations with frequent irradiation (radiates to the tailbone or leg, right or left). Aching pain in the lower back is quite common, the causes of which we will also consider below.
Any pain must be clearly localized, diagnosed, and its causes . This will allow you to develop the right treatment tactics and achieve the desired result - recovery.
When the lower back hurts, a set of measures begins with the definition of the lesion. Often, lumbar pain is a symptomatic sign of pathology of various organs and systems.
If pain occurs in the lumbar region, you need to determine:
1. Intensity is a very important criterion:
2. Localization - it hurts on the left side or on the right side of the lower back. It could also be girdling back pain.
3. The presence of irradiation - discomfort extends beyond the lumbar region, the pain spreads below, to the right / left, above, radiates to the groin, to the leg along the entire lower back and to the gluteal region (both the lower back and buttocks often hurt) or to the ribs.
4. Dependence on physical activity , changes in body position and other functional indicators. The most common pain is after lifting heavy objects, as well as pain when sitting or staying in one position for a long time.
5. It is also worth paying attention to when pain sensations appeared - it happens that the lower back hurts in the morning (characteristic pain in the lower back after sleep), sometimes pain occurs when inhaling, and also a very common phenomenon is pain when coughing.
Lumbodynia (lower back pain) can be an independent symptom of spinal pathology and a marker of more serious diseases (infectious process, cancer, etc.).
To accurately diagnose a particular disease, it is necessary to carry out a certain list of measures.
Pain in the lower back, or more precisely its location and nature, allows us to assume a possible disease, that is, to put it simply, to determine why it hurts by how the clinical picture manifests itself:
Also, similar localization and symptomatic manifestations are observed with malignant neoplasms in the spine, when the nerve formations of the sacrolumbar region are affected. They are often described by patients as terrible lower back pain, which is almost impossible to relieve at home. With such symptoms, you should not contact a chiropractor, but an oncologist.