What Causes Constant Lower Back Pain That Radiates To The Legs?

Posted on Sat, 18 Mar 2017

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 18 Mar 2017 Answered on

Sat, 8 Apr 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : I am in constant pain in my lower back that radiates down my legs and makes it difficult to walk or stand. Have seen an orthopedic doctor and have had shots in my lower back which brought some relief but does not last very long. I also have psoriasis that started around the same time. Do you have any idea what could be causing this?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (46 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Disc prolapse likely.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
It seems you are suffering from degenerative disc disease & it occurs due to repetitive overload or stress to the disc & it increases the risk of disc herniation & spinal canal stenosis.
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.
The main treatment of such problem is bed rest along with pain killers and muscle relaxants. Muscle relaxants can help with your symptoms if used in appropriate dosage in combination with a potent analgesic. You can get these prescribed from your orthopedician. Physiotherapy like intermittent lumbar traction reduces pressure of disc bulge for some time & gives relief.
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