How Lower Back Pain can cause Hip, Knee & Foot Dysfunction
Do you experience lower back pain, sciatica, or problems with your hips, knees, or feet? You might think that these pains are unrelated, but they could be connected. Each of these body parts are connected to the spine, which is the foundation of the body, and any shifts in its structure can lead to imbalances and compensations that affect the rest of the body. Let’s explore how the lower back is connected to issues with the hip, knee joint, foot pain/weakness and/or other dysfunctions and how Neuro-Structural chiropractic care can help.
The lower back is made up by the pelvis, sacrum and five lumbar spinal bones. The pelvis is an important structure that supports the upper body and connects to the lower body. The pelvis has three large bones that all connect together to make a bowl-like foundation for the spine to stack on top of and connect to the lower body. These bones are the left Ilium, right Ilium and the sacrum in the middle. They make three joints, the left and right sacroiliac joints and the pubic symphysis joint. The femur bone of your thigh connects to the pelvis at the hip socket, down to the knee joint, where your tibia and fibula bones of your lower leg connect to the ankle and foot. When the pelvis is shifted, imbalanced or misaligned, it can cause a chain reaction of compensations throughout the body. One of the most common compensations is a shift and tilt of the pelvis to any one direction. When left uncorrected, this can lead to secondary conditions. Shifts in the lower spine commonly result in lower back pain, loss of strength in the legs, hip pain, knee pain, foot drop, and even digestive or reproductive issues.
For example, if you have lower back pain, you might unconsciously lean a certain direction, alter your posture, or change the way you walk and move. This altered gait can put extra stress on your hips, knees, and feet, leading to symptoms of pain and weakness in these areas. Over time, this repetitive compensation can cause wear and tear in the joints of your spine, hips, knees, and feet. When these shifts start putting pressure on the nerves, this can lead to reduced function in your digestive or reproductive system in addition to the tangible symptoms of pain, tingling, numbness etc.
Neuro-Structural Shifts are caused by stress. Stress can come from acute physical trauma in sports, a fall, bike or car accident, an/ or repetitive stress like sitting and poor posture. Regardless of how they happen, Neuro-Structural shifts affect the nervous system, leading to a range of secondary conditions, including the symptoms mentioned above (lower back pain and pain in the hips, knees, and feet, leg weakness, drop foot, ect.) Traditional treatment options, such as rest, medication or surgery, only address the symptoms of these conditions and not the underlying cause, which can be a Neuro-Structural shift. Your lumbar spine, or lower back, houses the central nervous system and nerve roots that extend throughout various parts of your lower body. These all have specific functions and can result in corresponding symptoms when there is an interference in that area of your spine:
Commonly, traditional health care offers several treatment options for lower back pain and lower extremity issues. However, not all of them are effective or safe:
- Pain medication and cortisone injections can reduce pain temporarily, but they have long term side effects.
- Physical therapy focuses on strengthening and stretching muscles to bring them to balance. Although If a nerve connection has been compromised, the weakness, pain, and other symptoms will continue to come back and get worse.
- Surgery as a last resort could be an option, but it’s invasive and carries the risk of complications.
In contrast, Neuro-Structural Correction chiropractic care is a safe and effective way to reduce pain and dysfunction in the lower back, lower extremities, and improve your overall health. By correcting Neuro-Structural Shifts, we can help restore proper balance and function to the body and reduce the risk of future injuries.
As an example, we had a patient come to us seeking help from their lower back pain and weakness in their right leg. They could no longer work out as they usually had, and it was impacting their ability to play with their kids. During the examination, we discovered they have a Neuro-Structural shift in their lumbar spine and that their pelvis was imbalanced. After a course of care with specific Neuro-Structural spinal adjustments, their back pain resolved, they regained strength in their legs and are back to working out and playing with their kids without worry. Normal function is possible again when Neuro-Structural shifts are corrected. With this patient, balance was restored to their pelvis, allowing the body to heal itself and function how it should.
If you or anyone you know are experiencing any pain or discomfort in the lower back, hips, knees, feet, or pelvis, don’t hesitate to schedule a Complimentary Consultation with Platinum Chiropractic today to determine if Neuro-Structural Correction can help reduce your pain, restore your body’s nerve connection and improve your overall health and wellness.