There are many causes of leg and foot pain. According to the Spine Health website, lumbar or lower back spinal conditions are among the most common causes of leg and foot pain and lower extremity symptoms. The Spine Health website states that spine care professionals diagnose and treat many lumbar conditions that cause leg and foot pain. Simultaneous leg and foot pain often respond well to conservative care methods, although surgical intervention may be necessary in some cases.
Lumbar Disc Herniation
A lumbar disc herniation can cause leg and foot pain. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, or NINDS, a division of the National Institutes of Health, the most common location for intervertebral disc herniations is in the lower or lumbar portion of the spinal column. NINDS notes that lumbar intervertebral discs are under constant pressure and that as the fibrous outer of ring of a spinal disc degenerates, the gel-like material in the center of the disc or nucleus pulposus can protrude into the intervertebral foramen and compress nerve roots. The intervertebral foramen is the hole through which spinal nerve roots---branches of the spinal cord---exit the spine.
Along with low back pain, lumbar disc herniations can cause sciatic pain, which is shock-like or burning pain along the path of the sciatic nerve as it travels down the back of the leg and into the foot. Lumbar disc herniation-related leg pain may also be accompanied by numbness, tingling and weakness on the affected side.
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Lumbar spinal stenosis can cause leg and foot pain. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, or AAOS, states that lumbar spinal stenosis occurs over time, as the area around the spinal cord narrows. In some people, the area around the spinal cord narrows so much that it places pressure on the spinal cord and spinal nerve roots. This pressure can cause pain, numbness and weakness in the legs and feet. According to the AAOS, degenerative spinal changes---including lumbar spinal stenosis, in some cases---are seen in up to 95 percent of people who are 50 years of age, and nerve root impingement occurs equally in men and women. Common signs and symptoms associated with lumbar spinal stenosis include the following: back pain; sciatica or burning pain in the buttocks, legs and feet on the affected side; leg numbness; tingling; or weakness and symptomatic relief when bending forward at the waist or stooping.
Lumbar Spondylolisthesis
Lumbar spondylolisthesis can cause leg and foot pain. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis occurs when one lumbar vertebrae shifts or slips forward relative to the vertebra below. Degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis is associated with degenerative changes in a vertebra or its joints. The Spine Universe website states that common symptoms associated with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis include the following: low back pain, low back muscle spasms and leg and foot pain or weakness. In some cases, however, a person will experience no symptoms associated with this condition, and may only learn of its presence after a radiographic or X-ray imaging study of the spine. According to the Spine Universe website, degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis is a rare condition, affecting only a small percentage of the population.
References
- Spine Health: Causes of Leg Pain and Foot Pain
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Low Back Pain Fact Sheet
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Guideline Summary
- Spine Universe: Degenerative Spondylolisthesis of the Lumbar Spine
