Can lower back pain cause weakness in the legs?

As the lumbar spinal canal
spinal canal
The spinal canal (or vertebral canal or spinal cavity) is the canal that contains the spinal cord within the vertebral column. The spinal canal is formed by the vertebrae through which the spinal cord passes. It is a process of the dorsal body cavity. This canal is enclosed within the foramen of the vertebrae.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Spinal_canal
shrinks, the nerves that go through it are squeezed.
This squeezing may cause back pain, leg pain and leg weakness. Many adults have this kind of stenosis.
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Can lower back pain affect your legs?

The sciatic nerves branches from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each leg. Sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, which branches from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each leg.
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What does weakness in legs indicate?

Sudden leg weakness can be a cause for concern and should prompt immediate medical attention. Some causes of sudden leg weakness include stroke (due to a decrease in oxygen reaching parts of the brain), spinal cord damage, or a pinched nerve coming out of the spinal cord.
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Why Does My legs feel weak and my back hurts?

Sciatica. Sciatica is a sharp, burning or stabbing pain in the lower back that radiates through the buttocks and down into the back of the legs. A person may also experience a tingling sensation, numbness, or weakness in the legs. The pain occurs when something places pressure on the sciatic nerve.
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Why do my legs feel weak when I walk?

Your legs also might feel cramped, tired, or weak. These are symptoms of a condition called neural claudication (say this: claw-dih-kay-shun) of the legs. If you have lumbar canal stenosis, the neural leg claudication starts when you stand up, gets worse when you walk, and gets better when you stop walking.
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Lower back pain (a.o. sciatica, herniated disk) - It's causes, symptoms and treatment.



How do I get rid of weakness in my legs?

This approach involves the following:
  1. Rest. Take a break and rest your legs. ...
  2. Ice. You can ice your legs or soak them in ice water for 20 minutes at a time. ...
  3. Compression. Wrap your legs in a compression bandage to reduce swelling.
  4. Elevation. Keep your legs raised with some pillows to reduce any swelling or discomfort.
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Does sciatica cause weakness in legs?

Sciatica can lead to permanent numbness or weakness of your leg.
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Can lower back pain cause walking problems?

Lumbar spinal stenosis

Spinal stenosis often occurs in the lower part of the back, or lumbar spine, where it can lead to lower back pain when walking or standing. People often find that this pain improves with sitting down or leaning forward. Other symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis can include: weakness in the legs.
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What causes muscle weakness in the legs?

Muscle weakness is commonly due to lack of exercise, ageing, muscle injury or pregnancy. It can also occur with long-term conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. There are many other possible causes, which include stroke, multiple sclerosis, depression, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME).
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Can back problems cause walking problems?

Gait problems

Spinal stenosis can affect walking in different ways depending on its location within the spine, for example: Lumbar spinal stenosis (in the lower back) may cause gait problems due to foot drop. The condition may also cause weakness in thigh and leg muscles, such as the quadriceps and the calves.
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Why do I feel like my legs are going to give out?

Causes of nerve damage include direct injury, tumor growth on the spine, prolonged pressure on the spine, and diabetes. A spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injuries are among the most common reasons that legs give out. These injuries vary in severity but should always be evaluated immediately by a spine specialist.
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Why do my legs feel weak and shaky?

People will often experience shaky or weak legs when dealing with vascular issues in the leg, like deep vein thrombosis or blood clots. Clots are very serious if untreated because they could break off into the bloodstream and travel to an artery in the lungs, blocking blood flow.
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Why do my legs feel wobbly?

Many issues, ranging from restless legs syndrome (RLS) to serious conditions such as dementia, can cause someone's leg to shake. It is not possible to diagnose the cause of shaky legs based on symptoms alone. For this reason, people who experience leg shaking should speak to a doctor or healthcare provider.
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What does a pinched nerve in the lower back feel like?

Pinched nerve signs and symptoms include: Numbness or decreased sensation in the area supplied by the nerve. Sharp, aching or burning pain, which may radiate outward. Tingling, pins and needles sensations (paresthesia)
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Can back pain cause heavy legs?

Back pain is the most common symptom of degenerative disc disease, but the changes in the health of your discs may also cause pain that radiates to your legs. Or, in the case of nerve root damage, leg weakness or foot drop.
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When should I be worried about lower back pain?

You've Been in Pain for Over a Week

Most back pain will subside after a few days, but if you've been experiencing pain for over a week, then it's time to call a doctor. Your doctor will perform any examinations or tests required to help get to the bottom of your pain before it could become a bigger problem.
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Does Covid cause weakness in legs?

Symptoms of Guillain-Barre tended to arise within five to 10 days of the first onset of common COVID-19 symptoms, the researchers said. These first Guillain-Barre symptoms included weakness in the legs, tingling and facial weakness.
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How do you tell if lower back pain is muscle or disc?

Your spinal disc is at the bottom of your back, so if you have pain in your lower back, you may assume it is a slipped disc. Furthermore, the feeling of pain will differ between the two. Muscle pain will feel like post-workout soreness, while disc pain will feel debilitating and tingly.
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How do you know when back pain is serious?

What back pain signs and symptoms indicate something more serious is going on?
  1. Sudden spike in pain, discomfort, weakness or numbness.
  2. Loss of bladder function.
  3. High fever.
  4. Severe stomach pain.
  5. Unexplainable weight loss.
  6. The pain results from a fall or severe blow to your back.
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How I cured my low back pain?

10 Ways to Manage Low Back Pain at Home
  1. Keep Moving. You might not feel like it when you're in pain. ...
  2. Stretch and Strengthen. Strong muscles, especially in your abdominal core, help support your back. ...
  3. Keep Good Posture. ...
  4. Maintain a Healthy Weight. ...
  5. Quit Smoking. ...
  6. Try Ice and Heat. ...
  7. Know Your OTC Medications. ...
  8. Rub on Medicated Creams.
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Is walking good for sciatica?

Walking is a surprisingly effective approach for relieving sciatic pain because regular walking spurs the release of pain-fighting endorphins and reduces inflammation. On the other hand, a poor walking posture may aggravate your sciatica symptoms.
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Can sciatica make you unable to walk?

Lack of movement: You might not be able to move your leg or foot because of sciatica. This can cause your foot to just hang limp despite you trying to move it. Inability to walk: All of the symptoms of sciatica can come together and make it difficult for you to walk.
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Can pinched nerves cause muscle weakness?

Muscle Weakness

Nerve compression can cause muscle weakness and loss of motor function to the areas of the body affected by the pinched nerve. Depending on the location of the compressed nerve, you may have difficulty walking normally or grasping and holding objects in your hand.
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How can I regain strength in my legs?

Aerobic exercise

Walking, stationary cycling and water aerobics are good low-impact options to improve blood flow and leg strength. Try to exercise for 30 minutes five days a week or work your way up to exercising that much.
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How do you strengthen weak nerves in legs?

Balance training
  1. Using a chair or counter, steady your balance with one hand.
  2. Stand straight with feet slightly apart.
  3. Slowly lift one leg to the side and hold for 5–10 seconds.
  4. Lower your leg at the same pace.
  5. Repeat with the other leg.
  6. As you improve balance, try this exercise without holding onto the counter.
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