Many people are familiar with the feeling when the right leg goes numb. Why is this happening? When is this symptom a manifestation of a serious illness and is it necessary to urgently seek medical help?
Doctors call numbness or loss of sensation in a limb hypoesthesia. Often this unpleasant sensation is accompanied by tingling, numbness in the leg, and crawling “goosebumps”. There are many reasons that cause sensitivity disorders. They can be divided into the following groups:
Often a healthy person's right leg goes numb after sleeping or sitting in an uncomfortable position. The symptom usually goes away on its own and indicates insufficient physical activity. If you are familiar with this feeling, then you should pay attention to walking, light exercises, and limb massage.
Causes associated with damage to the nervous system:
Diseases can cause pinching of the spinal cord roots at the level of the lumbar and sacrum. This is the most common cause of numbness in the leg below the knee. If compression of the nerve occurs on the right, then the right leg hurts and goes numb. Patients often take their condition lightly and put off visiting a doctor. Meanwhile, the situation becomes more complicated: paralysis and atrophy of the leg muscles develops, gait is impaired, and the need for neurosurgical treatment arises.
Do not forget about such a common reason why the right leg goes numb as diabetes. One of its serious complications is diabetic polyneuropathy, when multiple nerve damage develops due to high blood sugar levels and impaired glucose metabolism. Manifestations of the disease begin with numbness in the toes, which is accompanied by tingling, burning, acute pain, and impaired pain and temperature sensitivity.
Damage to the arteries as a result of atherosclerosis or endarteritis may be accompanied by hyposthesia. Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of numbness of the lower extremities. If the atherosclerotic plaque is located in the femoral artery on the right, then the right leg goes numb from the hip to the knee. If a plaque in the arteries of the leg blocks the blood flow, then along with numbness below the knee, vascular disorders develop, and in severe cases, gangrene occurs.
Often patients with varicose veins complain that the leg hurts and goes numb. These are the first symptoms of venous insufficiency, then they are accompanied by a feeling of heat and cramps in the calf muscles at night. Symptoms occur in the late afternoon or after sitting or standing at work, and disappear after sleeping or walking. You should not ignore the manifestations of varicose veins, as you can miss the development of thrombosis of the veins of the lower extremity, when urgent surgical care is required.
Demyelinating diseases are a whole group of pathologies based on demyelination, that is, destruction of the nerve sheath. As a result, the conduction of the nerve impulse is disrupted and symptoms appear, for example, the right leg goes numb.
Neoplasms of the spinal cord or in the extremities cause compression of the nerve trunks and the development of hyposthesia. For example, when the tumor is localized at the level of the right thigh, the leg below the knee on the right becomes numb. To identify the cause of the pathological process, magnetic resonance imaging is performed.
The right leg goes numb due to injury, for example, a fracture of the leg bones, a plaster splint can cause damage to the peroneal or tibial nerves. A severe bruise provokes the formation of a hematoma, which can compress the nerve and cause a feeling of numbness. With a burn or frostbite, permanent loss of sensation often occurs. Injuries and thermal effects require immediate medical attention as they require special treatment.
If you experience persistent numbness and loss of sensation, you should immediately consult a doctor. Delay can significantly worsen the condition!
Who has never had back pain? There are few, if any, such lucky people around the world. The lumbar region is most often affected. This is not only the most loaded, but also the most mobile part of the spine, which in most cases causes pain. They are not always localized on both sides of the back. The causes of lower back pain on the right side are not always obvious. They will be discussed further.
Based on patient complaints, a list of certain signs characteristic of a particular disease that causes pain in the
lower back on the right side.
It should be clarified that there are a lot of reasons and they are of different nature.
There are factors that increase the likelihood of certain diseases that lead to lumbar pain. These include:
In fact, each of the reasons is a fairly significant factor in the occurrence of diseases, but not always sufficient. However, in some cases they are the true causes of pain. For example, excess weight leads to an increase in the load on the spine, which ends in the appearance of hernias and deformities of the vertebrae.
Spinal disease is the most common cause of lumbar pain. The nature of pain can be very diverse - from aching daily
pain (chronic course of diseases), to acute, shooting pain. Among the possible culprits, degenerative-dystrophic changes and processes occupy a special place. Similar phenomena cause diseases such as:
In their chronic form, these diseases manifest themselves as aching pain, especially in the morning and evening hours, as well as after physical activity. In the acute form, lumbago is observed, radiating either to the leg (most often) or above the lower back. As a rule, lumbago appears during movements, especially fast ones, when bending over and lifting heavy objects.
Spinal curvature causes compression of roots and nerves, causing muscle spasms or pain. In addition to diseases, this leads to:
If a child or teenager complains of lower back pain on any side, then, first of all, you need to rule out scoliosis, kyphosis, flat feet and lordosis.
All kinds of injuries can make themselves felt several years later or even in old age.
One way or another, you need to seek medical help as soon as possible so as not to worsen the situation.
Muscle inflammation is not as common as the previous options. Myositis is considered dangerous and painful, leading to a general deterioration in health. Inflammation appears during physical activity, diseases of the spine, and any infections.
Pain in the right side and lower back is often explained by kidney problems. Pyelonephritis is quite acute:
The kidneys are a paired organ. Bilateral damage practically does not occur, because pain appears on the side where the pathology develops.
The intestines, like any other organs, are penetrated by nerve endings that emerge from the spine. Of course, most of the inflammation and damage can radiate to the lower back. It is quite difficult to suspect the intestines; pain in some cases radiates to any area of the back or abdomen.
Pathologies that lead to pain in the lower back:
Malignant and benign neoplasms can have a traumatic effect on nerve endings and internal organs. This leads to compression of the nerves and deterioration of tissue nutrition. Accordingly, characteristic of such pathologies are both acute pain when moving and nagging, aching pain.
Unilateral lumbar pain is more common in women than in men. The greatest danger is from neoplasms in the intestines and genitourinary system.
We must not forget about menstruation and pregnancy. At this time, women undergo a restructuring of the body, the production of hormones increases, which leads to the body working under emergency conditions. Inflammations appear, which easily spread to nearby organs, and the nutrition of bones, joints and other tissues deteriorates. To avoid such a turn of events, a consultation with a gynecologist is necessary.
The main causes of lower back pain on the right side are described above, and now separately about the manifestations during pregnancy. Already weakened bones and joints are subjected to physical stress, especially since the muscular corset also weakens and is unable to perform its functions fully.
This is why constant monitoring by doctors during pregnancy is so important. Lower back pain is far from the only unpleasant feeling that can remain after childbirth. Therefore, a pregnant girl should actively prepare, and not be inactive. As a result, complete inaction leads to the development of diseases that can be transmitted to a newborn.
It is imperative to add that one of the reasons for pain in the right side and lower back is failure to seek medical help in a timely manner. Many diseases are not only easier, but can also be cured in the early stages. And if you miss this moment, the process may become irreversible. Therefore, you need to take care of your health, listen to your body and find time not only to prevent diseases, but also to consult a doctor.
Lower back pain is one of the most common complaints among older people, but discomfort and back pain often appear in young people, who most often do not pay attention to the inconvenience, preferring to endure the pain “on their feet.” But is it safe for health if your back hurts in the lumbar region on the right or left? Doctors are sure that this is not the case and strongly advise you to listen to the recommendations and start treatment on time.
Pain in the lumbar region on the right or left can be caused by a variety of factors. It may appear after an injury, as a result of a disease of the internal organs, or indicate problems with the spine. Low back pain that radiates to the leg is considered a dangerous symptom . It usually occurs as a result of diseases of the spine and can cause a violation of the range of motion in the hip joint or even loss of the ability to move independently.
Most often, lower back pain on the right is caused by the following pathologies:
1. Osteochondrosis - incorrect body position during work and study, excess weight and a sedentary lifestyle cause poor posture and spinal problems in more than 80% of the adult population. Osteochondrosis gradually develops, a disease in which the intervertebral discs are affected; this can cause severe pain in the spine, which intensifies at the end of the day, if it is necessary to maintain the body in a certain position, for example, when working at the computer for a long time. And with physical activity or sudden movement, another pathology may occur - lumbago or sciatica.
2. Lumbago and sciatica are pinching and inflammation of the nerve roots in the lumbar and sacral region. Most often they develop gradually, due to osteochondrosis, arthrosis and other joint diseases. The nerve fibers become inflamed, thicken, and when moving, a sharp pain occurs in the lower back, which can radiate to the right leg and literally “shoot through” the patient. If the roots are pinched, the pain occurs suddenly, it is sharp, strong, the patient cannot bend or straighten, as the pain intensifies with every movement. In the chronic course of the disease, the pain is aching, weak and constant.
3. Spinal injuries - pain in the lower back on the right can be caused by a fall, a strong blow to the lumbar region and other similar incidents. If, immediately after an injury or several hours after, severe pain in the lower back occurs, it is necessary to urgently visit a traumatologist and make sure that there is no damage to the spinal column and internal organs.
4. Myalgia - severe pain on one side of the lower back can be caused by inflammation of a specific muscle. Myalgia occurs during hypothermia, increased physical activity, or during monotonous movements that cause certain muscle groups to contract. In this case, the pain is localized, aching, aggravated by bending over and other physical exercises.
5. Spondyloarthrosis or other joint diseases - as a result of inflammation and degenerative-dystrophic changes in the joint, the lower back begins to ache regularly - on one or both sides. The pain is nagging, aching, radiating to the hip and knee, intensifying after a long stay in one position or physical activity.
6. Diseases of the internal organs - pain in the lower back on the right, accompanied by symptoms of other diseases: increased body temperature, discharge from the genitals, pain in the stomach and intestines, signal problems with the internal organs. The right kidney, right ovary, intestines and gallbladder are most often to blame for the appearance of lower back pain on the right. In such cases, symptomatic treatment is useless; it is necessary to identify and get rid of the underlying disease.
7. Other diseases - constant, nagging or stabbing pain in the lower back should alert any patient. If lower back pain occurs regularly and is not provoked by physical activity or hypothermia, a full examination is simply necessary. You also need to pay attention to the general condition: weight loss, weakness, dizziness, increased fatigue and decreased muscle strength can be symptoms of serious diseases such as osteomyelitis and spinal tumors.
If you have back pain in the lumbar region, only a doctor can prescribe treatment. Osteochondrosis and inflammatory diseases of internal organs are treated completely differently, so you cannot self-medicate, this can further aggravate the situation. Before visiting a doctor, you can try to alleviate the patient’s condition :
- reduce physical activity, and in case of severe pain, stay in bed;
- sleep on a hard surface;
- take breaks during work - if you have to maintain one body position while working, you need to take breaks every 1-2 hours;
- avoid hypothermia, physical activity and heavy lifting;
- make a dry compress on the lumbar area - just apply a woolen cloth, but do not warm your back;
- apply warming ointments and creams to the lumbar area;
- Take a painkiller tablet.
Any other treatment should be carried out only as prescribed by a doctor.
In this article we will try to consider situations in which the lower back hurts on the right side . This symptom may be evidence of diseases of the internal organs - liver, kidneys, gallbladder, pancreas, genitourinary system and intestines.
If you have lower back pain on the right side, this may also indicate the development of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. If you feel pain in the spine area on your right arm, you should immediately consult a specialist.
Pain in the right side of the lower back can be either temporary or periodic. In the case of temporary pain in the right side of the lower back appears only with sudden movements or in an uncomfortable position, usually sitting. Acute pain in the lower back on the right may appear when trying to straighten or bend over.
If a person feels that he has pain in the lower back on the right side for a long time and this situation repeats with a certain frequency, tolerating such a symptom is not the best way out, especially if one should not self-medicate.
A nagging pain in the right lower back in women indicates that this may be a gynecological disease, and in men, pain in the right side of the lower back is most often a symptom of early prostatitis.
Don't ignore right lower back pain or follow the advice of friends who may also have experienced right back lower back pain. Doctors do not recommend resorting to the help of so-called folk recipes - due to ignorance, you can easily aggravate the situation.
Aching pain in the lower back on the right often indicates the presence of a disease such as osteomyelitis, and it requires not only a thorough examination, but also x-rays of bone tissue.
In some cases, careful diagnosis and competent therapeutic treatment require severe pain in the lower back on the right, and in other situations, when pain appears in the lower back on the right side, this may even require surgical intervention.
If, after a strong fall or bruise, the lower back on the right hurts, you should immediately go to a traumatologist for an examination, no matter whether the pain is directly in the lower back or lower on the right.
When the lower back and right side hurt at the same time, you should also undergo examination by a specialist, because this may indicate such serious diseases as cholecystitis, hepatitis, right-sided pneumonia, pyelonephritis, which require immediate treatment.
Pain below the lower back on the right can be a consequence of incorrect posture, and severe pain in the lower back on the right in some cases indicates hepatomegaly or hepatitis.
If your back hurts on the right side under the ribs, this may indicate a pathology of organs both in this particular area and in another place. It happens that pain occurs far from the directly problematic organ, radiating and spreading to the most sudden points of the body.
But what to do if the back of your neck hurts? In this case, the onset of pain was most likely the result of an uncomfortable or incorrect sleeping position. The easiest way to eliminate this symptom is to take a pain reliever.
How to treat the body if your neck hurts? The course of treatment should, of course, be prescribed by a professional. But there are a number of tips that will help ease the pain.
Firstly, do not sit in one position for a long time (at the computer or in front of the TV) - take short breaks at short intervals, this will help your muscles relax. And secondly, do not go outside without covering your neck with a warm scarf - this will help avoid muscle numbness.
Painful discomfort can occur in representatives of both sexes, but in women it is sometimes of a special nature, because there are factors that determine the presence of exclusively female reasons for feeling pain in the lower back on the right side.
Pain in the right side of the lower back for a woman can be an alarming signal about the onset of an inflammatory process in the reproductive system. Pathologies of cysts, pelvic organs and benign ovarian tumors have a similar effect on the female body.
Sharp pain in the lower back on the right is very insidious, since most often a woman may not experience any other unpleasant sensations. Gradually, acute pain in the lower back on the right subsides, taking its usual place in a person’s life. Simply put, a woman gets used to it and postpones going to the doctor, or (even worse) goes deeper into self-medication.
Another reason why women have back pain in the right lower back is excess weight. This creates additional stress on the musculoskeletal system, and the joints are gradually deformed, causing the spine to hurt below the lower back on the right.
Do not self-medicate under any circumstances. Consult your doctor!
Pain in the lower back on the right or in the side is often one of the most recognizable and characteristic symptoms of dysfunction of the internal organs and the musculoskeletal system. The nature of the pain is both temporary, occurring in periods, and permanent.
Why does lower back pain occur on the right? Most often, pain syndrome is observed in the following cases:
Constant poor posture or prolonged stay in an uncomfortable, physiologically incorrect position leads to the fact that the load, distributed incorrectly, causes compensatory deformation of part of the spinal column and, as a consequence, deformation of internal organs or accelerated aging of the spine.
Weakness and numbness of the limbs, severe pain in the spine, pinching of the sciatic nerve - this is not a complete list of disorders that arise from intervertebral pathology. Most often, the disease overtakes those who like to lift weights, old people or young people with congenital pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.
Painful sensations in this case appear soon after a blow or an unsuccessful fall that injures the back. As a rule, if the bruises are minor, the pain goes away on its own within a few days, without special treatment.
In addition to the causes of painful discomfort inherent in representatives of both sexes, there are factors that determine the presence of purely female reasons to experience unpleasant sensations in the side or back. Pain localized in the right side of the lower back, most likely indicates an inflammatory process in the reproductive system.
In a similar way, pathologies of the pelvic organs, cysts and benign ovarian tumors can make themselves known. The insidiousness of lower back pain is that, often, apart from it, a woman does not experience any other unpleasant sensations. And the pain, which at first is simply unbearable, weakens over time, remaining a familiar part of a person’s life. That is why the absence of pronounced symptoms leads to the patient postponing a visit to the doctor or self-medicating, only aggravating the problem.
The problem of excess weight is another reason why lower back pain occurs on the right. Creating additional stress on a woman’s musculoskeletal system, pain signals gradual deformation of the joints. Fortunately, this problem can be solved quite easily. Along with weight normalization, discomfort in the lower back also disappears.
The enormous load on all organs and systems of the body that a woman experiences during pregnancy could not but affect painful sensations. Pain in the lower back on the right occurs due to the accelerated growth of the uterus, which compresses and deforms the internal organs. The liver, located on the right side of the body, and the kidneys, as well as the diaphragm above, suffer the most.
Without maintenance therapy, including hepatoprotectors and nephroprotectors approved during pregnancy, tired back syndrome will accompany the woman until childbirth. A significant increase in pregnant women’s body weight over a short period of time increases the load on the back muscles, causing painful discomfort. In this case, gentle physical exercise - leisurely walks or swimming - gives excellent results. A special bandage that evenly distributes the load and sleeping on an orthopedic mattress will ease the woman’s discomfort.
If back pain on the right side strikes you suddenly, schedule a visit to your doctor. A neurologist at any district hospital will conduct a routine examination and advise which specialists you should visit in the future. Before visiting a doctor, try not to self-medicate.
While the causes of pain are unknown, uncontrolled use of medications can only cause harm. During your illness, avoid any physical activity and, if possible, stay in bed. Strict adherence to medical recommendations, therapeutic exercises and physiotherapeutic procedures will allow you to forget about unpleasant painful sensations and maintain health and good spirits for many years.