These symptoms are some causes of why you may have back pain and sciatica…
Herniated Disc
The symptom of a herniated disc is sharp pain located above the tailbone that may travel down to the buttocks and sometimes to the groin. A person with a herniated disc can draw a specific line down their back and leg indicating the location of the pain. Herniated discs can also cause numbness and weakness in the leg.
Typically, a person with a herniated disc is younger and may have had some trauma or done repetitive bending and twisting movements. They often have pain bending forward, but leaning backwards reduces the pain.
Arthritis and Osteoarthritis (not Rheumatoid), Stenosis, and Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
These are clumped together as they all have similar symptoms and causes. The typical person with arthritis is over 50, has pain while standing and walking, and experiences relief when sitting. They also have morning stiffness, as well as weakness, pain, numbness, and tingling from the back into the legs. It is often the person you see in the grocery store leaning on the cart, or someone who often says, “I just need to sit for a minute.”
SI Joint and Pelvis Dysfunction (Often With Disc Symptoms, Too)
SI joint problems are easy to miss, as they do not appear on X-rays or MRIs. These are the patients who may have had surgeries that did not help.
People with SI dysfunction range from young to old. They have pain sitting or driving. They often complain of pain when rolling over in bed and getting in and out of the car. They try to avoid bearing weight on one side. The pain is more diffused than with a herniated disc and can radiate to the outside of the leg, into the front of the thigh, and into the groin. this is common in women following childbirth and can come with a loss of bladder control.
Let us help you find the cause of your pain so you can heal naturally- not with medications, injections, or surgery, but with physical therapy!
Rue and Primavera Occupational and Physical Therapy
