Understanding Your Pain
Back Pain and Leg Pain -- Why Do You Have Both?
Why Your Back Hurts
When there is a problem with the lumbar spine itself -- the bones, discs, joints, or muscles -- you feel pain in your lower back.
This is pain coming directly from the site of the problem.
Why Your Leg Hurts or Feels Numb
So why does your leg hurt or feel numb, even though the problem is in your back?
The nerves in your lower back travel down into your legs.
In other words:
The nerve is being compressed in your lower back, but the symptoms appear in your leg.
This is called radiating pain or referred pain.
The Location of Your Symptoms Depends on Which Nerve Is Compressed
| Compressed Nerve | Where Symptoms Typically Appear |
|---|---|
| L4 nerve root | Front of the thigh, inner side of the knee |
| L5 nerve root | Outer thigh, outer shin, top of the foot, big toe |
| S1 nerve root | Calf, sole of the foot, little toe side |
Your doctor can often determine which nerve is being compressed based on where you feel your symptoms.