By:
Carolinas Leading Back Specialist, Dean Volk, PT, MPT
“If I’ve got back pain — Why am I getting a
shooting pain down the back of my leg?”.
This is a very common symptom we see in
our PT clinic. In fact I would be extremely surprised if at least 10 people
didn’t walk, (or hobble in with severe pain it causes), into the clinic each
week with this very same complaint. I, myself, have suffered with this
discomfort and know exactly how much it can get in the way of daily activities
and hobbies. The first response to this pain by most is to go get on a heating
pad and take meds to ease the pain and possibly a few exercises.
For some the response is to simply rest
and hope for the pain to subside. Resting, generally for the lower back, is a
big “no-no”, and medicine, although it might reduce the pain at first, is
unlikely to solve the underlying root cause of this discomfort. Also, do you
really want to have to take tablets every single day to simply mask a problem?
Let me tell you, this is not a problem that can be swept under the rug!
There can be a few reasons why someone
experiences a shooting/sciatic pain down the back of their leg and it is my job
to identify through a thorough assessment what the cause might be.
One of the most common causes I see for
this debilitating pain is due to a “slipped disc”. Most clients I see with this
problem have heard of the term, “slipped disc”, however very few understand
exactly what it is and why PT is vital in ensuring a quick recovery. Now, to
understand why, you need to bear with me, (ANATOMY SPOILER ALERT!!):
What is a slipped disc?
Small fluid filled sacs (disc’s) sit
between the bones in your back. I find it’s better to think of them as little jelly
doughnuts, (little potentially painful jam doughnuts). Their purpose is to
protect the bones in your back as you move about. As you bend forward, the
discs are pinched at the front and the fluid inside the discs goes to the back.
For example, imagine if you squeeze a jelly doughnut, the jelly inside will
move away from where you are squeezing. Now imagine if you are in a job where
you are always bending forwards/leaning forwards/picking up objects.
Eventually this repetitive squeezing of
the disc will cause the wall of the disc to wear down and, just as if you
squeeze a jelly doughnut too hard, the fluid will come out. However, instead of
sticky jelly fingers that can be licked clean, you have a very painful shooting
sciatic sensation, as the disc presses on the nerve (sciatic), that travels all
the way down the back of your leg.
The problem if you completely rest this
is that not only does the disc stay “slipped”, the muscles that control your
lower back become weak, therefore providing less support to the already
problematic area.
Physical therapy is therefore vital and can assist in the recovery
of this painful problem.
Common treatment methods I use include total
motion release activities, along with mobilizing the joints to encourage the
disc to move off the nerves, deep tissue massage to loosen the muscles that
become very tight to protect your lower back, as well as invaluable exercises
and stretching advice. All these treatment methods are specific to you, as no
two back problems are ever identical. Please – Don’t suffer any longer
than you have too!
For more information, visit us at www.volkpt.com, or request a FREE Back Report at www.volkpt.com/back-pain, or watch my sciatica video at: https://youtu.be/6OTVahoa_8c
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