Back pain is one of the worst kinds of pain to have, and if you are more than 30 years of age, then it can be your regular visitor! It often comes in every shape and intensity. Sometimes, it spreads immediately after an injury but most of the time, it appears mysteriously, residing with you throughout your life.
Let’s discuss the kind of back pain which can later affect your legs and causes leg pain as well. Below you can find listed and described some of the conditions that can cause low back pain that also radiates down the legs. In some cases, pain in the legs is referred pain, meaning that it occurs in the spine, but it is felt in the legs instead.
Sciatic Nerve Pain
Sciatica is a term which refers to the pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve of the human body. The nerve starts from the lower spine, then goes through the hips and buttocks, going down to the back of each leg.
Sciatica typically affects only a single side of your body, but there are cases when both branches can be affected. Although sciatic pain can be severe, it can be fixed within a few weeks of non-surgical treatments.
Acute Sciatica Pain
Sciatica which occurs suddenly without any forewarning is known as acute sciatic pain. It usually recovers within a few weeks. The type of pain usually originates from spinal discs, joints, muscles or nerves.
Chronic Sciatica Pain
Sciatic pain which can be felt all the time is chronic sciatic pain. Its origin is often hard to diagnose, and it tends to get worse with the passage of time. Factors that increase the development of this type of pain usually include tissue scarring, arthritis, nerve damage or mental effect of pain.
Arachnoiditis
A membrane that protects your spinal cord nerves is known as arachnoid. If you are feeling irritation in the arachnoid, then it could be the pain of arachnoiditis. People suffering from arachnoiditis feel pain in their lower back and legs affecting the nerves in those areas.
Piriformis Syndrome
It is the contraction of the piriformis muscles which can cramp the nerve roots. A band-like sort of flat muscle present in the glutes, near the hip joints, is what we call the piriformis muscle. It helps to support the hip and enables you to stand upright.
Spondylolisthesis
It is a condition that comprises of (usually) one of the vertebrae of the spinal column slipping out of its anatomical place. When it occurs, it can compress nearby nerves.
Lumbar Herniated Disc
If a spinal disc develops a crack in its outer shell and allows some of its inner material to protrude through that crack, it becomes a herniated disc. Thus, the disc puts pressure on the nerves in the spine, causing severe back pain. When it occurs in the lumbar spine, it can press against the sciatic nerve and cause sciatica.
People having herniated discs often feel weakness and sometimes numbness as additional symptoms on top of the pain.
Treatment & Prevention
In order to get the correct diagnosis, it is imperative that you seek medical advice, especially if you have been suffering from chronic pain for long periods of time. Your doctor shall first perform a physical exam around your painful area. This way he/she can ensure the accuracy of your symptoms and rule out any other medical conditions such as spinal stenosis, infections or even spinal tumours.
Lower back pain is definitely a curable pain which can be corrected by taking some negligible measures which you can do yourself for pain management and relief:
- Exercise regularly. Pay attention to the core muscles to keep your back firm and strong.
- Maintaining a proper posture is necessary when you sit. A seat which has a good swivel base, lower back support and armrests can be used for this purpose.
- Using good body mechanics. Avoid twisting and lifting heavy objects.
- Taking pain medications or pain relievers (although they are not recommended as they cause side effects, and the pain relief effect is short-lived).
- Having a steroid injection (which also provides only temporary relief and is also not the best course of action for this type of medical condition).
In order to treat this type of pain, your doctor may recommend physical therapy at first. Physical therapists are trained specialists who can help you with recovery when it comes to the health of your musculoskeletal system. However, physical therapy can take a long time to work and it can be taxing on your financial resources. There are other alternatives out there, and one of them is presented below.
To treat and prevent Sciatica or any other form of back pain, we present you the Backrack™ device!
The patented Backrack™ technology helps you get back pain relief through basic exercises that you can easily perform at home. It’s a 100% safe, CE marked product designed by Harley Street specialists. Please visit the above link to find more details about the Backrack™ device.
Author: Spinal Backrack
