Pain in the legs and the feet are very common reasons that people go and see their GP. The pain can range from a slight discomfort, pain when walking or running or a sharp pain that runs up your leg, for example. The problem is unless the cause is known, (perhaps you have had a fall recently) diagnosing the problem and finding out the cause is very tricky.
Diagnosis requires some major detective work when it comes to nondescript pain in the feet and legs, simply because there is so much going on in our legs and feet. Just remember, you won’t get any closer to the treatment that you need if you don’t go to the doctor. If you do have pain in your feet or your legs then it is worth getting seen by specialists, they will be able to find the condition causing the pain quicker than your GP.
So, what could be causing you this pain? Well, as it is hard to say what the condition is, we are going to give you an overview of some of the more common conditions that could be causing the pain. Here are some of the potential candidates for the pain in your feet and legs.
Spondylolisthesis: This condition occurs when one of the vertebrae in your spine slips forward over the next one. This action compromises the structure of your spine and will also affect your flexibility and stability.
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: Spinal stenosis is the action of a nerve root being compressed (basically choked). This is usually due to an enlarged facet joint, located in the back of your spinal column. The condition usually occurs in elderly people as it is commonly connected to a degeneration of the spine.
Herniated disc: When you herniate a disc in your back, it usually puts pressure on the weakest part of the disc, this happens to be right under the nerve root and so it results in a pain that will radiate through the sciatic nerve and into your legs and down to your feet.
Sciatica: A lot of symptoms of leg pain that are caused by the conditions above are referred to as sciatica. This is due to the pain radiating from the sciatic nerve which starts in the lower back and runs down the back of each of your legs into your feet. It’s what you have sat on for a while when you get pins and needles in your leg.
Each of the treatment options for the conditions above are different and so we won’t be going into the treatments available here. Please remember, if you do have a pain in your feet or legs then do make an appointment with your GP or a specialist. The quicker you get the pain looked at, the quicker treatment can begin.
We hope this article has helped you understand what could be happening in your legs and feet a little better. If you think that your problem is more foot-related, take a look at the rest of the posts on our blog, we have a huge collection of posts about common conditions in feet that might help.