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What Causes Lower Back Pain Along With Weakness In Legs?

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Posted on Tue, 14 Jul 2015
Question: I've been having lower back ache and pain above hip joints and general weakness of the legs and feet. I have consulted a doctor. Attached is the prescription. Please advise how serious is the issue and what care should be taken.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (6 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Disc disease likely.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
The low back ache with weakness of the legs and feet is likely to be due to disc disease in lumbar spine.
It occurs due to repetitive overload or stress to the disc & it increases the risk of disc herniation & spinal canal stenosis. The diagnosis can be confirmed after an MRI scan of the lumbar spine.
For this condition you have to do stretching & strengthening exercises in which you have to stretch tight muscle & strengthen weakened ones which will alleviate stress on facet joint and disc.
- Maintain optimum body weight,if you are obese
- Avoid lifting heavy weights as it imparts more strain on your back
- Change your daily activities so that you avoid movements that can cause further pain, especially bending forward and lifting as it will worsen the disc protrusion. if you want to bend forwards, do it with your hips and knees flexed.
- Use a lumbosacral back support to stabilize your spinal muscles
- Intermittent pelvic traction might be helpful to cause a regression of the protruded disc
- After the initial pain has subsided, remedial exercises to strengthen the spine are very important to restore normal spinal movements and muscle strength. The main aim of exercise is to encourage mobility, reduce muscle spasm, prevent further deterioration in the muscles and speed recovery.
- Use analgesics like advil or aleve and muscle relaxants to relieve pain and muscle spasm, as needed. Vitamin B12 supplements & Pregabalin may be helpful in controlling the neuropathic pain.
This is not a very serious problem and can be controlled with proper treatment and lifestyle changes.
I hope this answers your query.
In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out.
Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Dr. Praveen Tayal.
For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Praveen-Tayal
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
Dr.
Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal

Orthopaedic Surgeon

Practicing since :1994

Answered : 12314 Questions

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What Causes Lower Back Pain Along With Weakness In Legs?

Brief Answer: Disc disease likely. Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for posting your query. The low back ache with weakness of the legs and feet is likely to be due to disc disease in lumbar spine. It occurs due to repetitive overload or stress to the disc & it increases the risk of disc herniation & spinal canal stenosis. The diagnosis can be confirmed after an MRI scan of the lumbar spine. For this condition you have to do stretching & strengthening exercises in which you have to stretch tight muscle & strengthen weakened ones which will alleviate stress on facet joint and disc. - Maintain optimum body weight,if you are obese - Avoid lifting heavy weights as it imparts more strain on your back - Change your daily activities so that you avoid movements that can cause further pain, especially bending forward and lifting as it will worsen the disc protrusion. if you want to bend forwards, do it with your hips and knees flexed. - Use a lumbosacral back support to stabilize your spinal muscles - Intermittent pelvic traction might be helpful to cause a regression of the protruded disc - After the initial pain has subsided, remedial exercises to strengthen the spine are very important to restore normal spinal movements and muscle strength. The main aim of exercise is to encourage mobility, reduce muscle spasm, prevent further deterioration in the muscles and speed recovery. - Use analgesics like advil or aleve and muscle relaxants to relieve pain and muscle spasm, as needed. Vitamin B12 supplements & Pregabalin may be helpful in controlling the neuropathic pain. This is not a very serious problem and can be controlled with proper treatment and lifestyle changes. I hope this answers your query. In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out. Wishing you good health. Regards. Dr. Praveen Tayal. For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Praveen-Tayal