What Causes Leg Pain?
Leg pain can stem from a variety of factors. Musculoskeletal conditions are a common cause, such as fractures, sprains, strains, and joint injuries like ligament tears. Overuse injuries, especially for active individuals, can also contribute to discomfort in the legs. Inflammatory conditions, including arthritis, tendonitis, and bursitis, often lead to pain and swelling in the legs, which can become chronic if not treated. Additionally, vascular conditions, such as peripheral artery disease, chronic venous insufficiency, and deep vein thrombosis, can cause pain due to limited blood flow, often accompanied by swelling.
Nerve-related leg pain is another possibility. Peripheral neuropathy, most often caused by diabetes, occurs when uncontrolled blood sugar damages small nerves, leading to pain. Nerve issues originating from the spine can also lead to leg pain, such as sciatica, where a pinched nerve in the lower back radiates pain down the leg.
What Spine Conditions Lead to Leg Pain?
Several spine conditions can cause leg pain, including symptoms such as tingling, numbness, or a sharp pain that travels down the leg along the affected nerve. Common spine-related causes of leg pain include:
- Sciatica: A painful condition where a pinched nerve in the lower back causes radiating pain down the leg.
- Bone Spurs: These growths on the bones can compress nerves, leading to leg pain.
- Spinal Stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal canal that can put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.
- Degenerative Disc Disease: Wear and tear of the spinal discs that can irritate surrounding nerves.
- Herniated Disc: A slipped disc can press on nerves, causing pain that radiates to the legs.
- Facet Joint Osteoarthritis: Arthritis in the spine’s joints can lead to nerve irritation.
- Slipped Vertebra: A vertebra slipping out of place may compress nearby nerves.
As you age, the natural thickening of ligaments in the spine can also cause conditions like radiculopathy, which can lead to leg pain.
What Treatment Might Relieve Leg Pain?
Louisiana Pain Specialists tailors each treatment plan to meet your needs. After carefully evaluating your leg and ordering diagnostic imaging if necessary, we’ll determine the most effective approach for your condition. Treatment options may include physical therapy, which is often the first step in managing leg pain. Once it’s safe to begin rehabilitation, physical therapy can help strengthen the leg and improve its range of motion.
If conservative treatments aren’t effective, interventional therapies may be necessary. These treatments target the nerves responsible for sending pain signals to the brain, helping to reduce or block pain. Options may include epidural steroid injections to reduce inflammation and relieve pain, or selective nerve root blocks to block pain signals from specific nerves. Sacroiliac joint injections and radiofrequency ablation can also help alleviate pain caused by inflammation or nerve irritation in the lower back and legs. Lumbar sympathetic nerve blocks are another option to block pain signals from the lower back and legs.
For some types of leg pain, regenerative medicine may be an option. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy involves injecting platelets into the injured tissue to promote healing by releasing growth factors that encourage tissue regeneration and attract stem cells to the injured area.