I have pain down the back of my leg. What could it be?

I don’t see a lot of lower back problems, as that falls more under spine surgeons than sports medicine. I do have active people come to my office, though, complaining of pain that radiates down their leg. They assume it’s a hip or hamstring issue. If you think, “I have pain down the back of my leg,” watch this video to learn more about what could be going on.

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I have pain down the back of my leg. What could it be?

Sciatica is a common problem in active adults. It is irritation or pressure on the sciatic nerve that runs down the back of your hip and thigh. It can often result from pathology in the lumbar spine.

You might notice lower back pain or pain in your buttock. It could shoot down the back of your thigh into your leg. It might even reach your foot and toes. You might also experience numbness or tingling. Some patients even describe weakness in their ankle or foot.

If these symptoms sound like what you’re dealing with, watch this video to learn more. Often the problem can resolve with physical therapy, injections, or other treatments.

[DrDavidGeier]

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[lisamills]

I get severe pain in the back of my legs every night between the butt and knee. It is a constant pain. This has been going on for a while. Whether I am active or not.

[DarlingtonPorsh]

The back of my leg is paining me if I'm walking

[andrewmartinez]

I'm a construction worker and my left leg gets numb just by sitting or stretcing

[asiadavidson]

I have muscle pains in my calf . What can I take?

[damiangrobler]

About a year ago, I went to Virgin active, I was doing mountain climbers, the instructor told me I needed to bend my back more, I did. And I felt my lower back hurt hurt a little. I didn't pay it any attention. One day six months later it rapidly started getting worse. Then it became sharp, to the point where rolling over in my bed, or cuddling with my girlfriend became an issue, as I felt like I have to rotate every 30-60 minutes. I did some stretches against the wall, it got better, then one day I stretched it too much and then it became chronic. I took anti-inflamitories and patches for about a week and it felt amazing, I actually had a physical life again. But as soon as i stopped taking them the pain came back, but less severe. The stretches I did were no longer helping, I stopped exercising intesely and noticed that it started to fade, but to my disappointment it was actually traveling down to the backside of my leg/glute area. This impacts me in the following ways: It starts to hurt when I sleep at night it can slowly creep up, or just be there, sharp pains in my glute when I rotate in bed after I've settled for a bit, radiating pain in the upper part of my glute when I have good posture and look down to the floor, when I relax the glute, it has a radiating and sharp pain towards my tailbone. Sharp pain/medium pain when I get up sometimes.

[blessingjah]

Thanks very much this was very helpful

[gloriareyes]

I started on my siatica shooting pain down my leg started on the right down my leg and now its on my left

[oscarantoniomoreno]

It feels like I'm sitting on a golf ball. Right behind my right thigh.

[chandanthakur]

I feel the pain only when im involved in strenuous activity, in my posterior thigh

[darylyunupingu]

My lift thigh muscles hurt right up to my back and I sometimes don't sleep

[superiorv]

I was diagnosed with lumbar arhritis and I can get the sciatia pain at times, I'm a teacher and all this remote education during the pandemic reaked havoc on my musculoskeletal system!

[carol--RLT]

I had terrible pain in my back buttocks and down my left leg. I could hardly walk and sitting down and putting pressure on my buttocks and leg was unbearable. I went in to get an MRI and it was too painful. Pain killers did not help. I was put on steroids and was able to get a MRI. The procedure was still very painful. The MRI showed I had a ruptured disc. The disc was laying on my sciatic nerve. I was in severe pain for four weeks. I had surgery and had the disc removed. I still have nerve pain some days. My neurologist said I would always have problems. I still have problems if to much pressure is put on my leg. It has been 14 years since my disc ruptured. I have recently had moderate pain in my back, buttocks and left leg. The pain has lasted for the last four weeks. Some days are better than others.

[RosyKitteh]

My pain started as a feathery and stingy pain in the back of my left leg that was caused by lying on my back or sitting with my legs out in front of me. Then it spread to be a constant bruise-like pain in my right calf that gets worse when I bend that leg to try to sit on my knees. Sometimes I'll wake up in the morning and it feels like there are a series of maybe five spots on the back of my right leg that have that constant bruised feeling. Even right now I'm feeling that shocky feeling in the back of my left thigh and butt area as I lie on my bed and type this. It's been going on for three months now with it spreading the both legs happening about a month ago. I'm 21. My mom keeps telling me that I've strained a muscle, but I know that's most likely not it since it's been going for so long now. I've just been praying that it goes away on its own. My mom has a full time job of taking care of my sister and her eating disorder right now and I really would hate to bother her to get her to take me to a doctor. I'm hoping that if I continue to exercise my legs every day for a while that the pain will let up because it's beginning to impact everything I do. My left leg and foot get numb sometimes when I stand in one place for too long and both legs prevent me from being comfortable sitting and lying down.

[marialanglais]

Years im living with lower back pain becouse it L4 L5 degenerative disk now im having my right leg pain radiating the hamstring down to my foot and they are saying no surgery so do i hv to live with it im from st maarten

[c.izak]

I just watched this video because I can’t stand the pain. I was born with scoliosis so I want to know if that pain can be fix without surgery on my spine

[marayanxassan]

I get motor cycle accident 8yrars ago but didn't broke my leg it's the pain that comes buck while cold or put on high heel shoes

[rickhagar]

I have constant pain in the back of my legs, I have osteoarthritis, but the pain is getting worse anybody know what is going on?

[lovingsamantha]

Happens anytime I do any form of walking, walks in the mall makes it worse, standing up too long. Starts from lower back to back if thigh to foot. Worst pain. Has bern the case since I was 13 but noticing it’s getting worst as years go by. 33 now, can’t wear heels anymore, workouts have limited and cause weight gain. It’s a horrible feeling

[KimberlySmith-iybi]

Thank you for the video. I suddered a lower Lumbar sprain. Have back problems ever sense. Injured it about 6 years ago. I know ive developed siatica. I have the same issues that you mentioned. Nerve painshooting pain down my leg. No other issues. Thank god for that. Also had a knee injury. Took a hard blow to the knee. My knee and the concrete floor became best friends about two years ago. Still have pain. After working on it all day. Had an exray on my back. Diagnosis. Lower lumbar sprain. Never had one on my knee. No Insurance. It gets swollen after im on it all week. However after rest for two days. Im good to go. I guess i wonder why does it hurt after all these years? My job is very physical and ive pushed my body to its limit. My joints hurts and after i sit for awhile. I walk like a duck. It hurts. But push through.. siatica. Pinched nerve. I use the i.c.e method and for the most part. Im good to go. But ive been dealing with this for a while now. My joints for the past year. My healt Insurance kicks in about three months from now. My opologies for over stating. But more info you have. Better answer