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Pain In Leg, Knees And Waist When Walking. What Causes It?

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Posted on Sun, 15 Jul 2012
Question: I have shooting pain down my right leg from the back of my waist to my kneees , it is very painful when I'm walking what causes the pain and what can treat it , please help
doctor
Answered by Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (40 minutes later)
Hello and thanks for the query.
You seem to suffering from sciatica.
Sciatica is low back pain combined with a pain through the buttock and down one leg. The leg pain usually goes past the knee and may go farther to the foot. Sometimes, weakness in the leg muscles occurs with sciatica.
Sciatica is different from other forms of low back pain because while the pain most often begins in the back, it usually travels down one lower extremity.
Sciatica is caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve.
 The following are causes of sciatica:

A herniated disc (sometimes called a slipped disc): This is the most common cause of sciatica.
Discs are the cushions between the bones in the back. They act like "shock absorbers" when we move, bend, and lift. They are the size and shape of checkers.

Spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the canal that contains the spinal cord: As we age, the bone can overgrow and put pressure on the sciatic nerve. Many people with spinal stenosis have sciatica on both sides of the back.

Spondylolisthesis, a condition in which one backbone has slipped forward over another backbone, resulting in pressure on the sciatic nerve 

A pinched or stretched sciatic nerve

Piriformis syndrome, which causes the sciatic nerve to become trapped XXXXXXX in the buttock by the piriformis muscle: The symptoms are the same as those of sciatica.

Sciatica can also be caused by other effects of aging, such as osteoarthritis and fractures due to osteoporosis.

Rarely, sciatica is a symptom of a far more serious problem, such as tumor, blood clot, or abscess (boil).
Diagnosis is done by examination,x-rays, CT (computerized tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans.

If you are suffering from sciatica, the doctor will almost certainly prescribe or give you some medication for the pain. If your pain is severe, you may need strong medicine such as a narcotic (Codeine, Vicodin, morphine) for relief

If, despite doing everything you are instructed to do, the pain continues and your CT or MRI shows a problem with the disc or bone, you may need back surgery. This should not be performed until you have tried all other methods of treatment, and you should probably get at least two opinions before deciding on surgery as a last resort.
I hope to have answered in detail.
Revert to me if there is any thing else to ask.
Best of luck.
Thanks
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :1978

Answered : 6704 Questions

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Pain In Leg, Knees And Waist When Walking. What Causes It?

Hello and thanks for the query.
You seem to suffering from sciatica.
Sciatica is low back pain combined with a pain through the buttock and down one leg. The leg pain usually goes past the knee and may go farther to the foot. Sometimes, weakness in the leg muscles occurs with sciatica.
Sciatica is different from other forms of low back pain because while the pain most often begins in the back, it usually travels down one lower extremity.
Sciatica is caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve.
 The following are causes of sciatica:

A herniated disc (sometimes called a slipped disc): This is the most common cause of sciatica.
Discs are the cushions between the bones in the back. They act like "shock absorbers" when we move, bend, and lift. They are the size and shape of checkers.

Spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the canal that contains the spinal cord: As we age, the bone can overgrow and put pressure on the sciatic nerve. Many people with spinal stenosis have sciatica on both sides of the back.

Spondylolisthesis, a condition in which one backbone has slipped forward over another backbone, resulting in pressure on the sciatic nerve 

A pinched or stretched sciatic nerve

Piriformis syndrome, which causes the sciatic nerve to become trapped XXXXXXX in the buttock by the piriformis muscle: The symptoms are the same as those of sciatica.

Sciatica can also be caused by other effects of aging, such as osteoarthritis and fractures due to osteoporosis.

Rarely, sciatica is a symptom of a far more serious problem, such as tumor, blood clot, or abscess (boil).
Diagnosis is done by examination,x-rays, CT (computerized tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans.

If you are suffering from sciatica, the doctor will almost certainly prescribe or give you some medication for the pain. If your pain is severe, you may need strong medicine such as a narcotic (Codeine, Vicodin, morphine) for relief

If, despite doing everything you are instructed to do, the pain continues and your CT or MRI shows a problem with the disc or bone, you may need back surgery. This should not be performed until you have tried all other methods of treatment, and you should probably get at least two opinions before deciding on surgery as a last resort.
I hope to have answered in detail.
Revert to me if there is any thing else to ask.
Best of luck.
Thanks