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.

A. Lower back pain can be brought on by a number of different reasons. Sometimes a visit to a chiropractor can help determine if it is a slipped disc or herniated disc that is causing the pain. Usually the most frequent cause of lower back pain, is pulled or strained muscles. It is possible to bend or move in a way the body is not used to, and cause a strained muscle. Bending forward in a way that uses muscles that have not been used in a while, can cause lower back pain.

Injuries that may have happened several years ago, can sneak up and cause problems later in life. This is usually due to a slipped or herniated disc. In some cases back surgery may be needed to realign the discs.

Sometimes a strained muscle does not present itself until the day after it happened, leaving us to wonder what we did to cause it. Lifting a child from the ground, may cause muscle strain. This can actually cause a herniated disc. Playing with the toddler can also mean you use muscles that are not normally used, and result in a pulled muscle. A pulled muscle can take anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks to feel better.

Other lower back pain causes may include more chronic conditions like osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis develops as we get older and can affect joints in the knees and hips. This may cause a person to walk differently, which uses different lower back muscles that are not used to the strain.

Trauma to the lower back that may cause a fracture needs to be treated by a doctor immediately. This may include falling down a couple of stairs, or falling off a bike. Other medical conditions like scoliosis, spinal stenosis, and spondylolysis are less common but do require medical treatment.

There are many reasons for back pain such as lifting something wrong or lifting something too heavy for you, however, sometimes lower back pain can mean an infection in the kidneys. Pain that occurs due to a kidney infection is usually in the area of the back where the kidneys are located; the locations of your kidneys are to the sides of the spinal chord right above the hips. If you have felt pain in your kidneys or have had a kidney infection before, then you know the difference between regular back strains and kidney pains, which are usually very tender in the area of the kidneys. If someone has had direct trauma to the back where the kidneys are located it could cause injury directly to the kidneys; many fighters use the kidneys as a striking area to hurt their opponents. The pain that comes from your kidneys during a kidney infection comes from the kidney’s themselves, but can sometimes appear to be just back pain; once the kidney infection is gone the pain will go away.
Kidney infections can occur due to an untreated UTI (urinary tract infection) or bladder infection. Symptoms of a kidney infection include sudden chills and fever, tenderness in the area where the kidneys are located, dull pain in your lower back where the kidneys are located, burning sensation during urination, and frequent urination. Doctors will usually treat you with antibiotics which kill the bacteria as well as direct you to drink cranberry juice and take cranberry pills to clear out your urinary tract infection as well. When you drink cranberry juice it is important to make sure that it is not sweetened with sugar because sugar will only add to the infection. Cranberry is also known to prevent bacteria from affixing to the lining of the urinary tract. Another herbal supplement used is grape seed extract, which is very highly antibacterial; it is important to supplement using probiotics when using grape seed extract. Other herbs that have been known to help kidney and urinary tract infections include parsley, cornsilk, uva rusi leaf, bochu leaf, cleavers, juniper berry, kelp, and cayenne. Vitamins and minerals that help kidney infections include vitamin C, vitamin E, and B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, and copper. If a kidney infection goes untreated your kidney could fail, you can survive a normal life with one kidney but cannot live without both of your kidneys; it is important to take care of your body by taking vitamins and minerals every day as well as eating vegetables and fruits. You should also be sure to drink plenty of water to ensure that you stay healthy and avoid dehydration in order to prevent the development of urinary tract infections or kidney infections.

It is normal to have back pain with the daily work and activities that we perform everyday, some back pain may be from strenuous activity, daily use, and over use of your back; however, it can also be chronic and serious. Some back pain that occurs can be a sharp pain that takes away your breath, a dull consistent pain, or a constant burning pain that does not go away. If you have back pain that is unbearable, persistent, or acute (sharp, sudden pains), you should see your doctor to find out if it is something severe or a simple injury. Acute back pain is usually caused from a past or temporary injury to your back. Causes of back pain could be any type of injury to the back ligaments, muscles, or joints, muscle imbalance or strain in the muscles, solidity of the sciatic nerve, spondylolysis, obesity, or osteoporosis, herniated or ruptured disc, kidney diseases such as kidney infections or kidney stones, improper stretching during exercises, lifting objects that are too heavy or lifting the wrong way, improper posture when sitting, walking, sleeping, or lifting. If your back pain is caused from lifting wrong or improper posture then it is easy to fix, however, if your back pain is due to a kidney disease, the treatment is not as easy.
Once you have gone to your doctor and received a diagnosis as to why your back pain is present he can then help you with treatment; depending on the severity and the causes of your back pain the doctor will prescribe you medication for your pain and show you lower back exercises you can do to strengthen your back muscles, physical therapy is also given to some patients in order to help their back pain. If your back pain is caused by kidney stones you could have some symptoms such as dizziness and queasiness along with your back pain. Kidney stones are usually painful when they pass through your urinary tract; the doctor can give you advice on how to pass your kidney stones safely and easily. You can also try some at home remedies to help clean out your urinary tract, first, you must drink plenty of water; cranberry pills that come in capsules are also on the market as well as Palo Azul, which is a tree bark that is brewed like a tea, both of these items are used to clean out your urinary tract.

The first thing to consider is if your lower back pain is recently developed try and stay active and perhaps take some non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Motrin, Advil). Do not stay in bed more than a day or so as it can make your joints stiffer and your muscles weaker, which will do nothing to help the pain. Keep in mind that surgery is rarely needed for it even if you have a herniated disc or nerve damage.

Acute lower back pain is pain that has lasted for over three months. Maybe you suffer from the pain daily and maybe you are lucky enough to only have flare ups that happen once in awhile. Some things you can do to try and prolong the time between your flare ups is to not stay in one position for too long. Take short walks and do light exercise, especially stretching exercises daily.

When that pain does act up taking an over the counter pain medication is a good place to start. Try and take them on a regular schedule while you have your flare up. Do not wait for the pain to become to intense as they may not work as well when you take them at that time. Use a heating pad on a low setting or stand in a warm shower for about 20 minutes every few hours. There are single use heat wraps available now that last for longer periods and work quite well. You can also try ice and see if it helps but it does not for most people.

Try as much as possible to keep up with your usual activities. Moving around will actually help your back muscles stay strong; staying in bed will make the problem worse after a few days. Your doctor may recommend physical therapy. Your physical therapist will recommend exercises to make your back muscles stronger through exercises called core stabilization.

Try your best to keep your stomach and back muscle strong, lift properly (bend your knees, keep back straight) and practice good posture (sit and stand up straight).

Another choice you have for you lower back pain is spinal manipulation which can be done by a chiropractor. The goal of this is to increase your range of motion.
If your back pain continues for months and months, you have to learn to try and develop coping skills for living with the chronic pain you have. You may want to consider speaking to a cognitive behavioral therapist who will teach you methods to deal with stress management and pain control skills. Anti depressants are also often used to help treat chronic pain. Corticosteroid injections directly into the back are often helpful for many people also. Massages cannot hurt and often help to relax you, which will help with the back pain too. Acupuncture has been proven to reduce pain and disabilities from lower back trouble.
Of course, if your lower back pain is very severe or gets worse it warrants another visit to the doctor who may prescribe different treatments and stronger pain medication.