Low back Pain effects almost everyone at sometime or another in
their lives. Most people are familiar with common backache
associated with activities such as raking the yard. Pain that
interferes with our lifestyle usually generates a doctor visit. The
most commonly seen low back pain is mechanical low back pain. It is
hallmarked by sharp pain increased by active motion, usually bending
forward at the waist. The pain is localized in the low back and
occasionally radiates into the buttocks.
Low back pain and leg pain also occurs frequently. In general,
low back and radiating leg pain is more serious than low back pain
alone, although they can be equally disabling. Leg pain that extends
past the knee is usually caused by pressure on the nerve at the
place it exits between the bones in the low back. This leg pain is
called sciatica or sciatic neuritis. More serious signs of
neurological involvement include loss of sensation, loss of motor
strength, loss of reflexes in the leg, and bowel / bladder dysfunction.
