abdominal pain fainting
What Could Be Causing My Terrible Leg Pains?
Question:
I’m 18 and for more than a year I have had pains in my left leg. Twice a day, usually in bed, I get excruciating pains in my leg, through my pelvis and lower back. My GF put it down to exam stress. I’m sure it’s not this, and I’m upset that she hasn’t sent me for further tests. Please help.
Answer:
I’m sorry your doctor has not sent you for further investigations. I wish I could see you to make a diagnosis but I will try to help you solve your problem on the basis of your description of the pain travelling through your pelvis and lower back. Having said that, if within two weeks of doing what I suggest, it doesn’t get better, you must go back to your doctor and ask to be referred for scans and/or to a neurologist.
Over the years I have discovered that most lower back pains have their origin in the pubic area. Here is the reasoning the back muscles( erector spinae) that run down the sides of the spine act as pulleys to keep us erect, because we have a tendency to stoop forward due to the weight of all our organs, which lie towards the front of the body. (That’s why if people faint they often fall flat on their faces.) The muscles end in thick tendons in the lower back on the upper part of the sacrum (the triangular bit in the centre just above your buttocks). So when people put on weight or carry heavy loads, or when women become pregnant, these tendons come under extra strain because the muscles have to counteract the force making the body stoop forward. A little recognized cause of the same pressure on the lower back is groin strain just above the pubic bone, the area where the abdominal muscles end in tendons attached to the pubic bone. I think this is the pelvic area you refer to.
I don’t know what sort of lifestyle you have, but a number of sports can cause groin strain, including squash, horse riding, tennis, golf, cycling, weight-lifting, doing sit-ups, martial arts, kick-boxing, even pilates. In the majority of cases, these groin injuries are minor, but if the body goes on stooping forward defensively, the muscles and tendons become strained and hurt. Then the pain can spread to the gluteal region (buttocks and/or the hamstrings in the legs. Doctors sometimes misinterpret it as sciatica.
Try pressing your pubic region on the same side as the leg that you are having problems with, in your case the left one. If it hurts, your pain is related to the groin/pubic strain I have described. Beware though – it can be agonizing when you first touch it.
I suspect that your leg pain indicates some problem with your discs. What can happen is that the groin and pubic pain cause the pelvis to twist and this, in turn, can cause the discs of the lower back to bulge, due to what’s medically called torsion of the lower spine. The pain is caused by the bulging disc touching sensitive nerves. Think of the disc as a hot-water bottle held between, two blocks of wood: if you press the bottle in one place, it bulges in another. If you twist the blocks in different directions (lateral torsion), the bottle also bulges.
Here is what I suggest you do
* Massage the pubic area with Joint Oil (Biotique,£8 for210ml) or Peppermint Balm. Also massage the abdominal muscles- they will be sore too. Do this for five minutes before you go to bed, for two weeks. You might find an immediate relief from your leg pain; sometimes the experience of pain as you massage sends a message to the subconscious brain to release muscular spasms in the lumbar region to decompress the disc.
* Lie on your front and ask someone to massage your lower back, particularly the top of the sacrum, where the two thick tendons of the erector spinae back muscles are. Then them to go on to the gluteal muscles (in your buttocks) and the hamstrings of the affected leg. This should be done for ten minutes every other day for two weeks.
* Make sure you drink a lot of water – 1.5 to 2.5 litres of still, pure water daily between meals – as dehydration can cause muscular cramps.
* Avoid citrus fruit and fried or spicy foods, also alcohol. Excess acid in the stomach can impede the healing process.
* Practise yoga, particularly the cobra, semi-bridge and boat poses. You will find these explained in my book Therapeutic Yoga, co-written with Jiwan Brar, and I urge you to join a good yoga class locally
About the Author
I have obtained MD in General Medicine with Honours in 1980 and joined The Central Institute of Advanced Medical Studies in Moscow for post graduation in Acupuncture. I have completed diploma courses in Acupuncture, Anesthesia, Iridology, Hypnotherapy and Clinical Fasting. Practicing as Integrated Medicine expert.
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