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Why do my lower back and legs hurt?

by Alivia Nyhan
Published: Last Updated on

Most people have suffered back or leg pain at some point, whether they are young people or older adults because there are many possible causes of this type of discomfort. In general, this type of pain is described as throbbing, burning, or latent, which can make your daily routine impossible, so it can be considered a limiting pain that, in some instances, can compromise your quality of life. At the same time, you are present, so it is essential to give it a timely solution. Then the following FastlyHealarticle will provide you with the most common answers to the question: why do my lower back and legs hurt?

Degenerative lumbar disc disease

It is one of the possible options for patients suffering from pain in the lower back and legs. It is a multifactorial disease, which means that it can have several different causes that even add up to produce the disease. It often has a genetic component. However, it can appear due to wear or trauma to the lumbar disc area, causing pain ( low back pain ).

The pain in the lower back, the lumbar region, can radiate to the legs, can last for weeks, and is considered intense. It can be worse in other conditions such as sitting because the discs will have a more significant load than when they are standing.

The treatment for this condition can be distinctly conservative:

  • Administering a series of anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving drugs.
  • Physiotherapy and exercise treatment is provided by the professional.

The surgery is recommended only for patients who do not get relief after at least six months of conservative treatment testing.

Sciatica

It is a set of symptoms that appear due to radiculopathy. It is characterized by describing symptoms such as:

  • Pain that starts in the lower back and radiates down the leg.
  • There may also be tingling or weakness in the leg.
  • The pain is constant and burning and is more intense when sitting.
  • In addition, there is challenging to mobilize the portion because of the symptoms.

It is produced by an irritation of the major sciatic nerve. It is the largest in the body and is composed of a series of individual roots from the spinal column to join later and form this nerve.

It is a condition that appears more in people over 50 years of age and is resolved without surgical intervention. Conservative treatments can be applied through medications to relieve pain and exercise. In case the condition does not improve, surgical intervention will be considered.

In the following FastlyHealarticle we explain some exercises to relieve sciatica.

Lumbar disc herniation

It arises because of degeneration and deterioration of the disc. It is a prevalent condition in many people and occurs by leaking the contents of the vertebral disc, which causes some structures such as nerves or their roots to be compressed.

This type of condition generates pain in the lower back and legs because any compression in the nerve, specifically in the lumbar region, causes the pain to radiate to the leg and buttock area.

Commonly, this injury resolves after six weeks; however, for this to happen, you will have to perform a series of conservative procedures that help alleviate the pain generated. Professionals recommend administering certain drugs to relieve pain and reduce inflammation, in addition to physiotherapy by a specialist and other therapies such as heat and cold. Also, the professional can give an epidural injection with cortisone and the administration of steroids. If, after a while, the lesion does not improve, a surgical treatment called microdiscectomy is recommended.

Muscle tension pain

It is one of the most common causes of pain in the lower back and legs that can affect young people. It is most common in people between the ages of 30 and 60 and occurs due to improper posture for several hours, leading to muscle strain. In the same way, it can appear after lifting objects of great weight and more if you pick them up from the ground incorrectly.

Generally, the person with muscle tension may have difficulty standing up because of the pain, mainly because it begins in the lower back and spreads to the leg. It is further aggravated by touch in the area.

This condition improves after a few days, and its recovery is even faster when a massage is applied to the area and adequate rest.

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Why my lower back and legs hurt , we recommend that you enter our Bones, Joints and Muscles category .

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