Back pain and leg numbness

[imsuperman]

Hey everyone,

 

My doctor says it's likely I have a back or disc injury. I can't really tell where it is, or if it's in more than one place, but sitting causes my left leg to become very numb. I don't really have PAIN in my lower back, but it seems there's some action about halfway down my spine, and maybe not even right on the spine?

 

Anyway, folks with back pain: Heat or ice? And what do you do for the numbness? Unfortunately, I have an office job, so sit the whole day.

 

It's not much in the way of pain, but the "cold" nerve pain is like nails on a chalkboard the whole day!

[ThatwasThen]

Did he have an MRI scheduled for you?

 

You might want to see a chiropractor. Mine alleviated all of the symptoms you're describing but it took seeing him once a week for a month then once every two weeks for a little over a month and then every three weeks for six months. I'm down to once a month maintenance now and my back is great.

 

He recommended cold for inflammation. 10 mins on, 10 off then 10 on again.

[DancingFool]

With a fresh injury it's both. Alternate hot and cold. Take a couple of sick leave days and really work on the hot/cold therapy thing and let your back rest and heal. You'll thank yourself later. Numbness is your body telling you not to be in that particular position btw. Find a way to sit/stand/lie where it doesn't hurt or get numb. If you approach this "aggressively" and really take a few days off to focus on healing yourself, you should be good as new in a couple of weeks. Otherwise, it can become a chronic problem. Also, take vitamins to help feed your tissues to speed up the healing process.

[ThatwasThen]

Sciatica will cause numbness down your leg. The chiro also gave me a exercise (sort of) that will open up your sciatica nerve. lie flat on your couch close to the edge with the numb leg dangling over the side. Doing that usually lessened the pain and alleviated any numbness.

[imsuperman]

Did he have an MRI scheduled for you?

 

You might want to see a chiropractor. Mine alleviated all of the symptoms you're describing but it took seeing him once a week for a month then once every two weeks for a little over a month and then every three weeks for six months. I'm down to once a month maintenance now and my back is great.

 

He recommended cold for inflammation. 10 mins on, 10 off then 10 on again.

 

Unfortunately, I went to a NEW chiro this past Friday, and started noticing issues the next day. However I do think this may have been something that was exacerbated by, but not entirely caused by, the chiro.

 

My doctor has given me the anti-inflammatory and has referred me for an EMG and Physical Therapy. Naturally, the EMG still hasn't called, given that they're the ones who can tell me what is going on.

[Jibralta]

I vote chiropractor--an experienced one, of course. And I'd recommend one who still does manipulations by hand. I'm not a big fan of that machine they have now.

 

I know a lot of people don't trust chiropractors. I didn't either. But when I was about 24 years old, I spent over a year going to my regular doctor and an orthopedist for my terrible back pain, with no improvement.

 

It was totally inexplicable; it just seemed to happen one day, shortly after I started my first full time job--one in which I was sitting all day. My lower back hurt, especially on one side, and pain radiated down my leg. When the pain was at its worst, it was almost impossible for me to get out of bed. I had to roll off the bed and land on the floor, on my hands and knees! I remember one time, my friend came over and typed a whole report for me while I was lying on the floor, telling her what to write. I couldn't sit when it was like that! Walking helped, but I had to be careful with physical activity.

 

I went for an MRI, X-Rays, etc. They couldn't find anything wrong with my back, just a couple of disks that might be bulging. All they did was give me drugs to numb the pain. I felt like 24 was too young to become dependent on drugs, so I finally caved and went to the chiropractor.

 

He FIXED me. He looked at my X-Rays and saw that my sacroiliac joint was a little weird on my left side. He treated me for that, and it worked! Since then, I swear by the chiropractor.

[melancholy123]

My chiro says cold for new aches, sprains etc. never heat. I am a total chiro lover, a good one is worth his/her weight in gold.

[SherrySher]

Sounds like sciatica.

 

Sciatica can be a funny thing as it doesn't always respond to the same things...it's individual for each person. Hot might work on one, while cold is better on another. All you can do is try and see which works better. A heating pad on your lower back or an ice pack.

 

It is also individual on whether you should move around more or not. Again, it depends on what it responds more to. If it feels better moving around more, go for small walks (even around your house)...but don't over do it. If moving around seems to make it worse, rest your back.

 

If the pain get's to be where you can't handle the it, you can ask the doctor for muscle relaxants or pain meds.

 

If you do desk work and sit all day, make sure you try to stand up and stretch and walk around a bit every hour (if possible)..it will help your back from getting stiff like this.

[imsuperman]

I feel a lot more "loose" today. I decided I'm doing well enough to see my regular chiro. She's pretty small and can't hurt me haha. Headed there in about an hour and a half.

 

But yeah, a lot less numbness.

 

In my journal, I've also discussed my ER visits. I also think something that could have happened is a rib injury (or slipped rib,) as weird as that sounds. It would explain the discomfort and nerve-type pain, and perhaps it caused some sciatica due to my back compensating.

[Lester]

When the discs between the the lumbars deteriorate, they shift and press on the spinal cord, causing numbness in the upper legs.

 

Manipulation (ie,Chiropractor) can and WILL cause more damage.

 

Go to a orthopedic surgeon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

PS, Hot/cold/chiropractor ONLY relieve the symptoms!

[thealchemist]

I would never go to a chiropractor that is not a licenced DO. Otherwise they don't know sh*t and they got their certification in the time it took me to right this post.

 

I have spinal stenosis and I get numbness occasionally.

 

If you have damaged a disk a chiropractor will frequently make it worse with adjustments. If you have narrow nerve cannals like me, they WILL make it worse too.

 

I have a disk injury/broken neck from rugby and have had a lot of back therapy.

 

If you are worried about your back get a orthopedic surgeon to check it out.

 

Not a person who has a technical certification that anyone can get.

[imsuperman]

Update: went in with the hopes of getting it imaged. Doctor said it’s likely a bad muscle pull in my middle back. I got a shot of Toradol.

[ThatwasThen]

I would never go to a chiropractor that is not a licenced DO. Otherwise they don't know sh*t and they got their certification in the time it took me to right this post.

 

I have spinal stenosis and I get numbness occasionally.

 

If you have damaged a disk a chiropractor will frequently make it worse with adjustments. If you have narrow nerve cannals like me, they WILL make it worse too.

 

I have a disk injury/broken neck from rugby and have had a lot of back therapy.

 

If you are worried about your back get a orthopedic surgeon to check it out.

 

Not a person who has a technical certification that anyone can get.

Well, one would hope that his MD would order X-rays that the Chiro would look at before doing any manipulation.

We all have an opinion but, I know that I am 100% pain free and have free movement since making chiropractic a part of my life.

 

Update: went in with the hopes of getting it imaged. Doctor said it’s likely a bad muscle pull in my middle back. I got a shot of Toradol.

... and yet he STILL DIDN'T order any imaging? I'd be getting a second opinion.

[imsuperman]

No and I specifically asked why. He said that high up its likely a muscle tear. Said an image won’t show anything. I don’t know. Everyone acts like I’m a hypochondriac, but I’ve never dealt with back pain/nerve issues in my body before so I don’t know.

[ThatwasThen]

Did the Toradol help?

 

You're seeing your doctor and surely he knows better then the rest of us so...

 

Anyway, you said in post 9 that you were going to your chiro. What did she have to say?

[imsuperman]

They actually looked at my medical records. She said she couldn’t see any obvious (bulging) trauma and that my back is very flat. It seemed like the other (not my usual) chiro exacerbated some issue I already had. The toradol seems to have taken a bit of the edge off. It’s not as much pain though as like just a lot of discomfort.

 

Last week it seemed like I was better when I stood, but now it seems better when I rest. I take a muscle relaxer before bed.

 

I bit my tongue last night when the PA at urgent care urged me to get back to playing mg basketball to help with anxiety and depression.

 

Like OBVIOUSLY I WOULD BUT MY BACK IS REALLY MESSED UP. WHICH IS LITERALLY WHY I’M HERE.

 

http://m.quickmeme.com/img/b2/b2e74558dcb7927ca9c220ec6e2688069ac176f8c63f0ed037ce68e1f985c597.jpg

[Lester]

A muscle pull in your back would not cause numbness in your upper legs.

[imsuperman]

"A herniated disc happens when the nucleus is pushed out of the annulus through a rupture, or tear. The “slipped” disc presses on the nerves in the spine, causing pain that can be quite severe. Sometimes the surrounding nerves can also become irritated, causing pain, numbness, or weakness in the arms and legs."

 

Source: Weil Cornell Medicine https://painmanagement.weillcornell.org/health-library/herniated-disc

 

That's why I'm so annoyed they didn't want to image it. It's fairly obviously a herniated disc that's causing a pinched nerve type of feeling.

 

OI scheduled for next week with a Joint/Spine specialist. Everyone else is completely oblivious.

[Lester]

"OI scheduled for next week with a Joint/Spine specialist."

- If OI means computerized axial tomography (ie, CAT Scan), or Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI Scan), or the poor man's x-ray..., you're finally on the right track!

 

Make sure you see a Orthopedic Surgeon sees it! Anything less is a waste of time and money. (And you could end up in a wheelchair.)

 

"Everyone else is completely oblivious."

- Get used to doing your own thinking!

[imsuperman]

No, just a mistype. The thing with surgeons is: You need a referral. Since regular docs don’t seem to comprehend what’s happening, I’m hoping the specialist will give me that referral if I need it. Or if he says it will heal on its own. I tried contacting surgeons for a consult last week, and they said they could t do anything without a referral.

 

My dad had a disc rupture and they literally didn’t do anything until it finally ruptured. Insurance wouldn’t pay until then.

[imsuperman]

Update:

 

Still dealing with this. I started physical therapy two days ago and go back again on Tuesday. From then on it's twice a week for the rest of the month.

 

I still get a quick tingle in: the lower leg, the back, the abdomen/rib area, the back of my head, the arm, bottom of my foot. I am scheduled for an EMG on the 25th, but I called them and told them to let me know if they had a cancellation so I could come by earlier. I'm getting annoyed/worried.

 

PT seemed to help some, but not a lot. (I know it's only the first time)

 

I think the tingling is the worrisome thing. It's been lessening overall, but this whole experience, and the fact that no one seems overly concerned but me, hasn't exactly done wonders for my anxiety. I've been referring to Dr. Google too much too. I really don't want it to be anything serious.