Can a herniated disc cause lower left back pain? Yes it can. Herniated or ruptured disc’s in the lower back may cause miner to severe lower left back pain. It may also be a sign of a degenerative disc disease that should be diagnosed by the family physician or an orthopedic doctor. A herniated or ruptured disc that causes lower left back pain may be because a disc in the lumbar section of the spine has been affected.

How many people suffer from lower left back pain? In the United States alone, one of the most common ailments that patients seek treatment for is lower back pain which can be on either the left lower back area or the right. It is one of the leading reasons for appointments at family physicians, chiropractors and orthopedic doctors. It is stated that four out of five adults will go to the doctor at some point in their lifetime for lower left back pain.

If I am experiencing severe lower left back pain, should I see my doctor? Anyone that is experiencing severe lower left back pain that is not relieved by rest, heat applications or over the counter medications should see their doctor. Lower left back pain that refuses to go away can signify a number of more serious causes. One of these can be that the lower left back pain is caused by an abdominal aortic aneurysm. This can be a life threatening condition and the individual should seek medical attention promptly. A simple sonogram which is not painful, can confirm the diagnosis of this condition. Another serious condition that can cause lower left back pain may be a kidney stone. This is said to cause severe pain in both genders, but especially in males. If a person suffers from a sudden bowel or bladder problem they should also seek professional medical help to rule out a syndrome called cauda equina syndrome.

A bulging disc means the disc has not herniated but is protruding or bulging out between the vertebrae and putting pressure on the sciatica nerve causing pain that runs down the leg going as far as the toes. The bulging disc can cause stabbing electric shock pain, dull aching, numbness, pins and needles sensation, and muscle weakness. The leg that is affected by pain is determined by the direction the disc is bulging.

Bed rest, icing the area for 20 minutes, waiting an hour, and repeating, will bring relief. Without bed rest and limiting twisting or lifting movements a bulging disc can herniate. To prevent this condition from worsening see your doctor immediately. Physical therapy could be useful as part of your recovery.

When a disc herniates, it ruptures sending pieces that push out between the vertebrae causing nerve pressure or nerve pinching. A herniated disc can cause shocking jabs of pain, numbness in the calf or foot with a tingling sensation, and sharp or burning pain down the leg. A herniated disc causes intense muscle spasms that require prescription medication, icing the area, and bed rest for a few days to relax muscles.

Spinal fusion is the surgical procedure to repair a herniated disc but it is risky. Spinal fusion is not always successful and you must be considered an ideal candidate for the surgery. 10% to 40% of spinal fusion patients suffer from “failed back surgery syndrome” that increases chronic pain and can decrease range of motion and mobility. The decision to have spinal fusion surgery should include the possibility that it can make your condition worse. Surgery should be a last resort choice after all conservative treatment has been exhausted.

Alternative treatment for a herniated disc includes kinesiology and acupuncture. Kinesiology addresses overall body health with muscle testing, gentle manipulation, and herbal supplements. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese method of pain relief using needles to block nerve signals.

Learning to live within your limitations and finding the treatment that works best for you will help you live a more normal healthy life. Embrace your condition, educate yourself, and make informed decisions about your health care.

Q. Is it only on the left side?
A. It is probable that the muscles only on the left were affected as a result of lifting, moving, exercise. or not moving in a back friendly, or ergonomic way.

Q. Does the pain go down the left leg?
A. There is more muscle involvement.

Q. Does the pain shoot or radiate down the leg?
A. The nerve root at the lumbar levels are possibly affected.

Q. Is there a numbing sensation going down the leg?
A. Again, it could be a sign of nerve root involvement. A disc may have been dislodged from between the vertebrae or back bones and it is pressing on the nerve root which provides sensation down the leg, specifically on the left side if the pain begins in left side of back.

Q. Does it hurt when walking?
A. Putting weight on the leg that is affected can cause slight pain to a terrible shooting pain not allowing any weight to be placed on it.

Q. Does it hurt more when sitting?
A. While sitting, your left thigh is at a 90 degree angle to the spine, and may cause different symptoms of pain. It may involve another nerve root area or disc herniation in another place in spine or herniation is worse.

Q. Does the pain go down to the foot at all?
A. This may indicate further at what levels nerve involvement is.

Q. Is there discomfort on top of thigh or down the back of the leg?
A. Again, this is another way of finding out where the nerve root pain may be originating from.

Q. Should I see a doctor or a specialist?
A. Yes, if you have had pain for more than two weeks that shoots down the leg, you should see a specialist in back pain or orthopedics?

Q. What if I just felt my back “give out” while lifting something?
A. Use ice to reduce inflammation and take some ibuprofen for the pain. Rest the back for a few days. If it muscular, it should ease up within a week.

Q. Should I get an MRI?
A. Yes, if the pain has not resolved, get an MRI done to rule out tumors, and check for herniations or other causes of pain.

Q. What if I can’t control my bladder or bowels?
A. A back injury that causes you to lose control of bladder and bowels should always warrant a doctor’s visit.

Q.

Crossing your legs is one of the worst things you can do if you tend to feel back pain on your right side. The action of crossing your legs pulls all types of muscles into the wrong places. Just don’t do it. Also sleeping on the right side when in bed will often contribute to this chronic pain so try to sleep on your back if you can. Also, be careful in the way you lift anything. You’ve heard it before but it is true, bend with your knees when lifting something heavy and just because you are bending your knees doesn’t mean you can then try to lift 200 pounds. No amount of good posture will help if you lift more than your body is prepared for.

Another key contributor to any back pain and this includes back pain on the right side is being overweight. Anytime you have more pounds on your body than your frame is prepared to carry you will begin to experience pain. This weight pain will radiate in limbs at the joints as well as in the back areas where you put considerable pressure.

So if you are experiencing back pain on the right side try these simple tips first: stand straight, sleep on your back, sit with both feet on the floor, bend your knees when lifting and lift only what is reasonable and lose weight if appropriate. If you put these simple tips into place there is a very good possibility that your pain will lessen and hopefully even go away if you stay diligent in your back care.

How Do I Know If the Pain I Feel is Caused by the Kidneys?
First of all, kidney pain is rarely dull and aching. If you have this type of pain in the middle of the back or lower back, it is most likely being caused by overworked muscles, pulled ligaments, or even an issue with the spinal column. Many people don’t understand that their kidneys are as high in the back as they are, and other back-related pains are often mistaken for kidney pain.

There is really no absolute way to know if the pain you feel is kidney pain. But other symptoms and signs can help determine that. For instance, if the pain is on one side and you also have a temperature and urinary-related symptoms, chances are this is real kidney pain.

What Are Some of the Causes of Kidney Pain?
1. Kidney Stones – Kidney stones do cause pain, but the pain doesn’t usually start while the stones are still located in the kidney. It is when the stone begins to move out of the kidney when the pain really begins. Kidney stones move through the ureter to the bladder and this causes waves of very sharp pain. The pain moves with the stone. It will generally start on the right or left side of the flank and move around the side of the upper body to the lower abdomen and then the groin.

2. Kidney Infection – An infection in the kidneys causes inflammation, making the kidney swell, resulting in sharp aching pains. The area is usually very tender to the touch. The infection will also bring fever and vomiting.

3. Urinary Tract Infections – An infection in the urinary tract left untreated can move into the kidneys and cause pain in the kidney.

4. Kidney Cancer – Early stages of kidney cancer usually has no symptoms, including no pain. Later stages of kidney cancer will include pain below the ribs that does not subside, blood in the urine, weight loss, and a fever that comes and goes.

At What Point Should I See My Doctor?
Any time the pain and other symptoms begin to worry you, you should see your doctor. A serious kidney infection can be life-threatening. If you have had a urinary tract infection that doesn’t improve, you should see your doctor.

How do you get low back pain?

Back pain can come in the night by just reaching out for the blanket that slipped off you while you were sleeping. The back is delicate and a slight twist of the arm can cause back pain.

How can I make sure I do not get back pain when gardening?

Bending over to plant even the lightest plant in the garden, can cause sudden but sharp back pain. You will probably find it difficult to get to a standing position. Lift the body to a straight standing position slowly to give the back a chance to reposition itself.

What is the worse back pain called.

The worse back pain anyone can ever experiences is Sciatica. This is when the sciatica nerve is pushed to the wrong position and strains the sciatica nerve at the lower back. The pain travels instantly down to leg making it impossible to sit, stand or lay down in bed. The low back pain takes a long time to lessen, and almost never entirely goes away for a long period of time. Nothing seems to give sciatica pain relief except extensive chiropractic treatments.

How do you get Sciatica Pain

The Sciatica nerve goes down the lower back to the leg. Try not to force movement of the leg from a sitting position lifting it upwards. The immediate and instant pain will let you know that the Sciatica nerve is involved.

How can one get relief from any back pain due to lifting incorrectly or bending over the wrong way.

The best way to get relief from any low back pain is to get Chiropractic treatments. It might take a few visits to feel relief from severe back pain, but in time and with proper manipulation, the pain will lessen. It is a good idea, once the back pain is eliminated, to pay a monthly visit to the Chiropractor to make sure the spine no longer needs manipulation.

Will Insurance pay for chiropractic treatment?

Most Insurance Companies will pay for the treatment. This includes Medicare. Medicare will only pay in full for the back manipulation. They will not pay for the required lower back x-rays or a full back massage.

So one morning after your coffee and before your shower, you are doing your stretches. You are full of energy and reach for the clouds when you are gripped by a strong cramp in your lower back on the right side. This is not your muscle overreacting to your efforts. This is a spinal nerve that has suffered a pinch from its passage through the foramen created by the boney arms of each verterbrae. The nerve was pinched because a disc of cartilage lost its spring or your stretch displaced it causing the nerve that controls that muscle on the right side of your back to spasm. What is next? Well, you take your hot shower and wonder how you will even get dressed since your movement is hampered severely by this one throbbing spot, hopefully, the hot shower will relax the muscle spasm.

It should ease the discomfort enough for you to get dressed but any continued back pain is now due to your displacement of that disc of cartilage. It bulged out and pushed or crimped the nerve, the question is how long will it stay that way. Until that nerve is unmolested by the bone passage it travels through on its exit from the spinal cord, the muscle or corresponding body function will not work as it should. If you have a condition knowns as stenosis, it may take longer than most patients to free the space around that nerve again. Muscles, fingers, bladder control and even lung function are all affected by a specific nerve exiting our spinal cord. This is why any trauma or simple weed pulling is enough to dislodge a disc, thereby, creating back pain. Most are familiar with the terms herniated or bulging discs. The symptom of that bulge is the nerve getting squeezed by the disc or the corresponding bone around its path from the spinal column itself. So the next time your husband says his feet hurt, know that it could actually be neurological damage in the back that is causing it.

Most Americans live with some sort of chronic pain everyday. Some of us really cannot recollect a day when we did not have some kind of pain and we have just resigned ourselves to living with it. Whatever the reason for you pain and whether it is chronic or as a result of strenuous exercises for a particular day, you owe it to yourself to find out the origin of the pain and follow up with any treatments needed in order to correct the problem. It may just be that you need to rest, or it may be that you need major surgery.

Back pain is a major complaint for many Americans. But this can be very deceptive. One would think that if you have pain in your back then you must have pulled a back muscle or perhaps strained your back in some way shape or form. But did you know that back pain can be an indicator of much more serious problems. Constant back pain in the left side of your body for example could mean several things. It could be a strain or tissue damage but it could also be a score of other issues depending on its location on the left hand part of your body.

Chronic left sided back pain could mean many different things depending on age, sex, other symptoms and family health history. It could be diverticulitis, IBS, endometriosis, fibroids, other tumors or cancer. Any disease affecting those organs which are found on the left side of the body can cause severe pain. It is a signal to you that something is wrong with that organ. The only way to truly find out what ails you is to get a complete physical which could include several diagnostic tests to pin point the problem. Remember, any damage or disease affecting the organs on the left side of your body, from the left lung to the left ovaries can cause severe pain. Don’t just run for the pain medication, go to a doctor and find out what’s wrong.

It sounds as though you have developed sciatica from your recent activity. Sciatica is pain, numbness, and tingling created by irritation of the nerve roots which lead the the sciatic. In some cases, walking Heavy lifting may have caused nerve root compression, or a pinched nerve, causing you acute discomfort.

Symptoms may begin with pain in your lower back that runs down your buttocks. It can cause pain all the way down your legs, through the back of your knee, even going into your feet. Weakness, numbness, and tingling may occur. Standing or sitting for extended periods of time may worsen symptoms. You may also find relief while lying down, but lying in one position for a period may cause discomfort. Sometimes symptoms flare due to walking or bending.

Many cases of sciatica eventually heal on their own. Initial treatment may involve over-the-counter pain relievers and light activity. You may also relieve pain and discomfort in your back and legs by avoiding sitting for extended periods of time, using heating pads on the affected area, or a warm shower. Seeking professional care from a massage therapist, chiropractor, or physical therapist may be necessary if symptoms worsen or do not go away on their own.

Please note that nerve root compression is only one possibility for sciatica. Treatment for sciatica can vary depending on the underlying cause. It is best to seek advice from a medical professional to determine the cause and treatment for your condition. Other common causes are bulging or ruptured disc, narrowing of the spinal canal, or bone spurs.

Answer: Most back pain is cause by muscle soreness, and usually this comes from having weak muscles in your back. Sometimes a weight problem can worsen these issues.

When someone injures their back, the first impulse is usually to spend a few days in bed while taking over the counter pain medication. This is actually ok as an initial treatment after a back injury, but as a pro-longed strategy, it’s not a good idea. Your muscles need blood to heal, and movement helps increase circulation, which helps the muscles repair themselves. Once the initial pain and inflammation begins to lessen, you should immediately get back on your feet, and get your blood flowing again.

After that, the first step preventative therapy is to learn some exercises that will isolate the crucial support muscles in the back and make them stronger. As you age, the support muscles in your stomach and back will often begin to atrophy. When we are younger, we are more physically active, and this keeps our muscles strong, but when we become adults, and spend less time exercising, the muscles can weaken. Making those muscles strong again is one of the main keys to protecting your back from future injuries. There are many sources online that will show you a safe set easy of exercises that can be performed 2 or 3 times a week, and greatly increase your support structure.

The next step is to look at your weight. The less weight your back muscles have to carry around, the better. If your belly has gotten a little larger in recent years, that could be the main cause of your back trouble. Some people are able to completely cure all their back problems just by losing a few pounds. Even a small reduction in your upper body weight can sometimes produce a drastic improvement.

In very severe cases, a back injury may require surgery, and if you try everything here, with no luck, you may have to consider that option. The good news is that surgery is usually not required, and if you take the right preventative measures, you can avoid injuring your back in the first place.

It’s all a matter of strengthening your torso muscles, and lessening their burden. If you do that, your back problems will undoubtedly get much better.