Leg pain can arise in many different forms when caused by problems with the back. It can vary in severity, location, and type, and can also often be accompanied by numbness or weakness, as well as pain traveling down into the foot. Each patient will experience symptoms differently. It is often treated without the need for surgery, but surgery can be necessary if the underlying problem is unresponsive to non-surgical treatment. If you are experiencing leg pain that is interfering with your daily life, contact an expert spine surgeon at ProMedSPINE today.
What are the Symptoms of Leg Discomfort?
Common symptoms and descriptions of leg pain include:
- Burning – A type of shooting, searing pain that can radiate down into the leg. It is different than a typical backache, as it can be extremely painful and debilitating. Burning pain is common when a nerve is irritated in the lower spine, and can be referred to as sciatica.
- Constant – When the pain is constant, it is often felt in the buttocks but may accompany pain felt in the leg or radiate into the leg. It is often present only in one side. It is often described as nerve pain, and is also referred to as sciatica.
- Numbness or Tingling – This feels similar to when a leg “falls asleep” and can be continuous. It can severely limit one’s ability to perform normal, everyday tasks like walking. The numbness and tingling can vary from a slight sensation to a complete loss of feeling.
- Pain in Certain Positions – Lower back issues can cause symptoms to worsen when walking, sitting, or standing. This can often make it uncomfortable for patients to be in certain positions.
- Weakness – In certain cases, a weakness or heaviness in the leg or foot can be common. This is often referred to as “foot drop”. It results in an inability to move and use their foot or leg in a normal fashion, and can feel like the patient has to drag the limb.
Causes
There are several conditions that can cause painful symptoms in the leg. The typical causes originate in the lower back. The two main types of painful symptoms that result from spine issues are:
- Radicular Pain – Considered more painful and steadier than referred pain, radicular pain is caused by compression or inflammation of a nerve root. The associated symptoms are typically worse than backaches and can usually be reproduced by performing certain actions. Often referred to as sciatica.
- Referred Pain – Tends to be dull and achy, and can move into different areas. This pain does not travel down a nerve like radicular pain. Instead, it’s the result of the inability of the brain to distinguish the source, thus creating pain in random areas. Not as common as radicular pain.
Most cases of pain in the legs are often labeled as sciatica, since the symptoms caused by the underlying condition often radiate down along the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve begins in the back and travels down each leg into the foot.
Back conditions that are common causes of painful symptoms in the legs include:
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
- Herniated Disc
- Spondylolisthesis
An expert physician like those at ProMedSPINE knows the importance of diagnosing the root cause in order to successfully treat the symptoms.
To learn more about leg pain management, please visit WedMD.
Watch Dr. Gravori Discuss Leg Discomfort
Treatment
There are different non-surgical treatment methods that can be utilized in order to treat leg pain. Things like bed rest, exercise, therapy, and medications can be effective pain management procedures. Treatments like selective spinal injections may also be used to help treat these symptoms.
If non-surgical treatment is ineffective, surgical options are available. Since pain that is unresponsive to conservative treatments is usually caused by an underlying spinal condition, the best option is to treat this condition when the pain cannot be treated on its own.
Some surgical treatment options include:
- Disc Replacement Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
- Percutaneous Discectomy
- MILD Procedure
- Percutaneous Foraminotomy
- Interspinous Process Fusion
- Interspinous Process Decompression
Watch a Patient Discuss Leg Pain Treatment
Painfulness in the legs can be very difficult to cope with. Not only can it cause pain and discomfort, it can also affect physical ability and daily life. There is no reason to suffer through a debilitation like this. If you are experiencing chronic or severe leg pain in Los Angeles, contact ProMedSPINE today. Our surgeons always deem surgery a last resort and will work to develop the best possible treatment option for each individual case.
Our spine surgeons have the advantage of extensive experience. Each is thoroughly trained in several forms of surgery and treatment techniques, not just the minimally-invasive types. With an expansive knowledge of procedures for the head, neck, and back, our surgeons’ immense understanding of the nervous system makes them the best choice for patients seeking treatment for leg pain.
Contact an Encino Pain Management Expert Today
The expert physicians at ProMedSPINE is a board-certified neurosurgeons with fellowship training in advanced spine surgery. At ProMedSPINE, we take pride in offering the most sophisticated technology and cutting-edge minimally invasive spine procedures to provide the highest quality of care for our patients. To schedule an initial consultation, please call 888-75-SPINE.
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