Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

If you sprain your ankle, you expect to feel discomfort in your ankle. It makes sense that pain is located in the area where the underlying issue is housed. Unfortunately, your spine doesn’t always work this way, as it’s not uncommon for pain in a different area of your body to be caused by an issue in your back. Patients sometimes describe this sensation as if their back pain is moving around.

Doctors typically classify pain that seems to move around as radiating or referred pain, and as you imagine, it’s not always easy to identify or treat, unless you have a trained eye. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at some of the spine conditions that can make it seem like pain is moving to different locations in your body.

Spine Pain That Moves

A complex network of spinal nerves branch from the spinal column to their final destination in other areas of your body, and if these nerves are damaged, it can lead to discomfort anywhere along this nerve path. Oftentimes this radiating discomfort is felt in your arms, hands or legs, but spinal issues can also cause pain to move to other areas, like your neck, shoulders and chest. Here’s a look at some conditions that can lead to radiating spine pain.

• Herniated Disc – Your spinal discs help to cushion the vertebrae in your spinal column, but if these discs are overstressed, they can start to bulge or even herniate. When this happens, the soft inner material breaks through the hard outer disc, and this material can end up compressing or damaging nearby spinal nerves. Bulging and herniated discs tend to respond well to proactive conservative care, but surgery is also an option for more severe herniations.
• Sciatica – Sciatica involves compression, irritation or damage to the largest nerve in your body, the sciatic nerve. This nerve branches from your lower back, down your leg and into your foot, which is why patients with sciatic nerve compression may notice discomfort in their butt, hips or legs. Determining what’s causing the nerve to be impinged or damaged is essential to determining the best treatment course, although many people find that physical therapy, posture improvements and weight loss can all improve symptoms or fully treat the condition.
• Pinched Nerve – A pinched nerve, also commonly referred to as radiculopathy, involves compression, injury or damage to a spinal nerve as it leaves the spine. Arthritic degeneration, disc issues or the formation of bone spurs can all irritate a spinal nerve as it traverses out of the spinal complex towards its final destination. Again, figuring out the exact cause of compression will be key in determining the best type of treatment.

If your back pain feels like it is moving or shooting down one of your extremities, odds are it is caused by a nerve issue, although muscle or ligament strains can sometimes lead to referred discomfort. Treatment is most effective when you know exactly what you’re up against, and it won’t be effective if you end up focusing on the wrong area because your issue is actually housed in your back. Instead, connect with a spine specialist who can help you get to the bottom of your discomfort and set you up with treatment that will prove effective.

For more information about moving or radiating back pain, pick up the phone and call Dr. Sinicropi’s team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Center at (651) 430-3800.

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