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Can Pain In The Back Of The Leg Be Indication Of Sciatica And DVT?

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Posted on Tue, 11 Feb 2014
Question: I'm having some pain in the back of my left leg, and I'm concerned about sciatica and DVT.
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Answered by Dr. Chobufo Ditah (1 hour later)
Brief Answer: It is not DVT Detailed Answer: Hi and thank you so much for trusting us with your health queries. I am so sorry to hear about this troubling thoughts about DVT. The description of your symptoms are clearly not suggestive of DVT. They could be more suggestive of sciatica. Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve is affected along its course. This cause symptoms to be distributed along the entire length of this nerve which moves all the way to the toes. The most common area is the lower back as this nerve exist the spinal cord. Though these symptoms are suggestive, you would need to be examined before concluding on this as the possible cause of this pain. Mention this to your doctor when you go for the results of your carotid ultrasound and the doctor would quickly address this. What is it that makes you so concerned about blood clots? I have not found any reasons to suspect this. The three major factors that contribute to clots are clotting disorders which favor clotting like , physical inactivity and damage to the walls of your vessels. I have not found any in you and just wondering why the heightened concerns. Can you say more about this so that I can address it? I wish you well Thanks for using our services and do feel free to ask for clarifications if need be. I wish you the best of health. Dr. Ditah, MD.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Follow up: Dr. Chobufo Ditah (18 minutes later)
When I told my doctor that I had an episode of heart palpitations accompanied by dizziness and even seeing spots, he said he wanted to make sure that I hadn't suffered "mini strokes." That's the main reason he ordered the carotid ultrasound. He checked me for signs of a stroke and found none, but we still need the results of the ultrasound to be sure. I did not tell him of the leg pain, because it wasn't much of an issue when I spoke with him (and I didn't make any connection with what I had experienced), but it's getting worse. I've done some reading in the last hour that shows that even if I did have DVT, it would not result in a clot to the brain, but rather to the lung, and in the worse-case scenario, a PE. I guess this does not fit my scenario. As I write this, there is pain in my hip, which radiates down the back of my leg to the back of my knee. There is also some very mild tingling to the foot. And all this gets better if I lie on my side, taking weight off of my left hip. Are there any exercises that help sciatica, if indeed that's what this is?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Chobufo Ditah (1 hour later)
Brief Answer: Thanks for following up with me! Detailed Answer: Hi and thanks for following up with me. I now understand the origin or you fears related to blood clots. The results of the ultrasound would imply say whether you have any risk factors for developing clots or not but cannot say for sure whether you developed a clot. You doctor would be able to address this when the results of the ultrasound are available. A clot that forms in the leg would first get to the lungs and that is why a PE is more likely than a XXXXXXX stroke in the case of blood clots in the legs. Clots that go to the brain result from the heart and vessels leading to the brain. So clearly, it does not fit your scenario squarely. There are exercise designed to help correct your posture, strengthen the muscles supporting your back and improve your flexibility. You would need the services of a physical therapist to help you with this if for real that is the final diagnosis. Because you have been doing some reading, I will like you to go over this summarized version of sciatica from a trusted site. Feel free to ask me any more question arising from this reading. WWW.WWWW.WW I hope it helps.I wish you well. Dr. Ditah, MD.
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Dr. Chobufo Ditah

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2009

Answered : 6323 Questions

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Can Pain In The Back Of The Leg Be Indication Of Sciatica And DVT?

Brief Answer: It is not DVT Detailed Answer: Hi and thank you so much for trusting us with your health queries. I am so sorry to hear about this troubling thoughts about DVT. The description of your symptoms are clearly not suggestive of DVT. They could be more suggestive of sciatica. Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve is affected along its course. This cause symptoms to be distributed along the entire length of this nerve which moves all the way to the toes. The most common area is the lower back as this nerve exist the spinal cord. Though these symptoms are suggestive, you would need to be examined before concluding on this as the possible cause of this pain. Mention this to your doctor when you go for the results of your carotid ultrasound and the doctor would quickly address this. What is it that makes you so concerned about blood clots? I have not found any reasons to suspect this. The three major factors that contribute to clots are clotting disorders which favor clotting like , physical inactivity and damage to the walls of your vessels. I have not found any in you and just wondering why the heightened concerns. Can you say more about this so that I can address it? I wish you well Thanks for using our services and do feel free to ask for clarifications if need be. I wish you the best of health. Dr. Ditah, MD.