When should I see a doctor for back pain and leg pain?

If your back pain is from a strain, sprain, or other mild injury, but it isn’t going away, call your primary care doctor. If the pain is severe, ongoing, or you have numbness or tingling in your arms or legs, you can call a healthcare professional like a chiropractor, physiatrist or orthopedist.

Can lower back pain cause lower leg pain?

Back pain is the most common symptom of degenerative disc disease, but the changes in the health of your discs may also cause pain that radiates to your legs. Or, in the case of nerve root damage, leg weakness or foot drop.

What helps lower back pain that radiates down both legs?

Alternating heat and ice therapy can provide immediate relief of sciatic nerve pain. Ice can help reduce inflammation, while heat encourages blood flow to the painful area (which speeds healing). Heat and ice may also help ease painful muscle spasms that often accompany sciatica.

What causes a heavy feeling in lower back?

The Causes. The most common cause of lower back pain is postural stress. For this reason, lower back pain is frequently brought on by sleeping in the wrong position, prolonged bending, heavy lifting, or even standing or laying down in a poor, rounded-back position.

What causes low back pain with leg involvement?

This can cause some pain during lifting and exercise, and can ultimately trigger a trapped nerve within the spinal cord. This trapped nerve can cause pain within the leg and can cause lower back pain. Sciatica is usually caused by a compressed or trapped lumbar or sacral nerve within the spinal cord.

What’s causing your leg pain, burning and numbness?

The cause of leg numbness in spinal stenosis is due to pressure on the nerves in the spine. It may also be accompanied by tingling, burning and pain. Transverse myelitis (TM) is caused by inflammation in the spinal cord. It often occurs following viral infections.

Why do my legs Ache constantly?

Sitting for long periods of time, lack of exercise, being overweight and smoking can all contribute to aching legs. Medical conditions associated with aching legs include diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and pregnancy.