I have Pain and Numbness in my leg, Could It Be My Back?

Leg pain can often come from our backs. The term sciatica has become common because the symptoms are seen quite often.

You see, the nerve roots exit out of the spine and branch into more and more smaller and smaller nerves.

So these nerve roots are a bundle of nerves. Nerves with a various function and controls. Some nerves may cause pain, some may only create the symptom of numbness, etc.

In your back you may have pressure on a nerve that solely communicate down the leg. You may have however one that has a lot of innervation to muscles of the lower back. Hence, this person may have back pain as well.

The Glastonbury Chiropractor is located in central Connecticut- CT Spine and Disc Center specializes in patients who suffer from sciatica, disc degeneration, bulging disc or herniated disc in the lumbar spine. Call our chiropractic office at 860-633-8756 to schedule an appointment and to see if you are a candidate for non surgical spinal decompression

Additional Reading Resources:

• Hot and Cold Packs for Pain Relief
• A low back cushion for driving and sitting at the computer
• No More Low Back Pain. Simple Tips to Keep a Healthy Low Back
• Non Surgical Spinal Decompression in Connecticut
• Contact the Glastonbury Chiropractor

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Specific Symptoms Associated With A Lumbar Radiculopathy

Pressure on nerve roots L1-L3 are often associated with pain above the knee. Also one may have decreased sensation in the anterior thigh.

The pressure and radiculopathy most commonly affects the L4, L5, and S1 nerve root levels.

Someone with pressure at the L4 level most often have weakness in the quadriceps muscle, pain in the low back and or front of the leg, and a decreased knee (patellar) reflex.

An individual with L5 symptomatology often has pain in the low back and or pain on the side of the leg, as well as a decreased medial hamstring reflex, weakness of the antherior lower leg muscles, and sometimes sensory loss on the outer calf.

S1 radiculopathy often creates pain in the low back, and or pain down the back of the leg or pain in the foot. The Achilles reflex may also be affected as well as sensation on the lateral foot and calf muscle strength.

Symptoms other than pain may include numbness and tingling, or burning pain. Also, most symptoms usually occur on one side of the body as the left nerve roots exit the spine on the left side of the low back and the right nerve roots exit on the right side. Sometimes pressure can be more central creating irritation to both nerve roots. This will often give bilateral symptoms.

One must keep in mind that depending on which nerve fibers have pressure on them and how severe that pressure is often determines your symptoms. If symptoms persist or get worse, see a professional right away.

If you have specific questions about a lumbar radiculopathy or sciatica or have tried various treatments with no real success, call our office at 860-633-8756 to find out if we may be able to help.

Additional Reading Resources:

• Treatments for Sciatica: Low Back & Leg Pain Relief
  
• Causes of Sciatica and Lumbar Radiculopathy
  
• Is Your Low Back Pain And/Or Leg Pain From A Lumbar Radiculopathy
  
• Understanding Non Surgical Spinal Decompression: FAQ's
  
• Research about Non Surgical Spinal Decompression
  

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What is Causing My Sciatica??

Sciatica or a lumbar radiculapathy is when pressure is put on one or more of your lumbar nerve roots. The nerve roots in the lower lumbars form together to make the sciatic nerve which travels down the leg. It gives off numerous branches that go to various parts of the leg – your toes, muscles, blood vessels, etc. Hence the term sciatica. It’s the general term for pain going from the lower body down the leg.

So what’s causing the pressure? The main pressure is from inflammation in the area. This is usually caused by a disc injury, trauma, facet irritation, arthritic changes, or stenosis. A disc bulge for example may put pressure on a nerve inflamming the nerve, causing pain or another symptom. The facet joints, which are the joints that exist just behind where the nerve roots exit off the spinal cord, can get irritated from a disc bulge can create inflammation which closes in on the nerve root.



In fact many things can cause irritation and inflammation in the low back. This is why so many people have experienced a severe episode or two of back pain. Even a severe strain or muscle spasm can create significant pain. A irritation to muscles in the low back or buttocks can cause radiculopathy or sciatica. Remember the nerve roots exit out of hole called foramen and form together into the sciatic nerve. Therefore spasm, muscle inflammation and strain of one or more of the muscles located in this region can cause problems. Also, the sciatic nerve, before it travel down the leg, goes through two heads of the piriformis muscle which is located in the buttocks.

Another common cause of pain is a spinal misalignment. A trauma to the low back, maybe a car accident or a fall, or a sports injury can cause a shift of the spine. Muscle spasm, poor posture, and heavy lifting are a few other causes of misalignments or subluxations.

Someone can even have a specific misalignment called a spondylolesthesis which is a shift of vertebrae forward or backwards on the one below it. This is often more severe and can be from a trauma but also one may be born with it or it happens because of severe lumbar degeneration.

These are the many causes of your back and leg pain. The next blog post I’ll cover treatment options for individuals currently suffering from lumbar radiculopathy.
If you have specific questions about a lumbar radiculopathy or sciatica or have tried various treatments with no real success, call our Glastonbury CT office at 860-633-8756 to find out if we may be able to help.


CT Spine and Disc Center is located in central Connecticut- Specializing in patients who suffer from sciatica, disc degeneration, bulging disc or herniated disc in the lumbar spine. Call us at 860-633-8756 to see if you are a candidate for non surgical spinal decompression


Additional Reading Resources:

• How does spinal decompression work ?
  
• How does Drx9000 spinal decompression work?
  
• Is your Lower Back Pain or Leg Pain the result of a radiculopathy?
  
• Learn how chiropractic manipulation can be extremely valuable on your pathway to health and relief of pain
  
• Understanding Non Surgical Spinal Decompression: FAQ's
  
• Research about Non Surgical Spinal Decompression
  

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