Not many people consider chiropractic care when their legs hurt. However, some cases of leg pain are caused by spinal misalignment or other problems in the spine. The reverse can also be true. Problems with the ankles, knees, or hips an cause leg pain and misalignment of the spine. Therefore, even if your leg pain isn’t caused by spinal misalignment, you may need chiropractic care due to your spine being negatively impacted by the other condition.
Common Causes of Leg Pain Involving the Spine
Leg pain can be caused by a wide variety of problems. We’ll take a look at just the potential chiropractic causes. If you come to our clinic for leg pain and it turns out your spine is in correct alignment, we’ll refer you to another doctor. We do recommend you see a chiropractor even if another doctor has found the source of your leg pain because chiropractic care can help tremendously in alleviating pain if your spine happens to also be misaligned. Common causes of leg pain that involve the spine are:
- Subluxations (spinal bone misalignments)
- Disc herniation (a bulging/protruded disc)
- Disc degeneration
- Osteoarthritis
- Spinal stenosis
How Do Problems of the Spine Result in Leg Pain?
Many spine-related causes of leg pain compress nerves in the spine that start at the lower back and extend into the legs and feet. This is why compression of nerves in the lower back can cause pain in the legs or feet. Spinal stenosis, a condition in which the spinal cord or spinal nerve roots compresses, resulting in leg pain. The pain can occur in a variety of locations depending on where the nerve is compressed.
How Can Chiropractic Care Alleviate Leg Pain?
Chiropractic care can alleviate leg pain by improving movement of the spine and restoring misaligned vertebrae to their correct positions. Once the vertebrae are in alignment, they will no longer pinch on your nerves. Sometimes, you will have to see a chiropractor a few more weeks for routine adjustments in order for the spine to remember its correct position. Muscle tension, poor posture, and other bad habits for the spine can cause the vertebrae to become misaligned again. Our chiropractor Dr. Lido Petrucci will discuss these issues in greater detail with you during your appointment to help achieve lasting change.
Chiropractic services can help with leg pain by restoring the spine to correct alignment, increasing range of motion, and minimizing pinching of the spinal nerves. When it comes to leg pain caused by the spine, the sciatica nerves in the lower back are affected. because the sciatica nerves travel all the way down the legs into the toes, you may experience pain anywhere from the lower back, all parts of the leg, to the feet and toes. Exactly where the pain is felt depends on where the nerve is being pinched in the spine.
Our chiropractic clinic La Grange Chiropractic located in Kentucky can help with a multitude of problems, including leg pain. Call us at 502-225-3816 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Lido Petrucci and seek relief from your leg pain.