While there are several potential causes of foot pain, the real question is whether or not spinal issues can also contribute to the symptom. Although it may not make much sense at first, there is a correlation between foot pain and issues in your back, especially your lower back. This is because, even in the absence of considerable lower back pain, pain in the legs or feet often has its genesis in the lumbar region of the spine. Casey Leong MD can help you get rid of the spine pain.
Table of Contents
Causes of backache that radiate to the feet
Some of the nerves in your spine really begin in the lumbar region and end in the feet. Pain in the feet can originate from irritation or compression of the nerve roots in the lower back.
Some spinal problems that might affect the feet are listed below.
Disc herniation
Spinal discs, also called intervertebral disks, cushion the spine’s individual bones or vertebrae. Disc issues, such as a herniated disc, a slipped disc, a protruding disc, or a collapsed disc, can also cause foot discomfort. However, in cases of disc herniation, it is not the injured disc itself that causes discomfort but rather the fluid that leaks out of the inner disc and irritates the adjacent nerves, resulting in pain at the nerve root. Pinched nerves in the lower back can cause excruciating pain that shoots down the affected limb.
Sciatica
The sciatic nerve begins in the lower back and travels the length of the body, including the buttocks and the feet. The nerves in your legs and feet connect your muscles to your central nervous system. When this sciatic nerve is irritated or inflamed, it can cause leg and foot pain.
Spondylolisthesis
Degenerative spondylolisthesis is a lower back disease in which one vertebra slips and falls over another. Pain radiates down the leg and into the foot because the slipped vertebra weakens the spinal segment and presses on the adjacent nerves.
Arthritis
Joint pain, soreness, swelling, and stiffness are all symptoms of arthritis, a painful inflammatory disorder of the joints. This could cause harm to the body’s soft tissues. Osteophytes, or tiny bony growths, can form at the facet joints and the vertebrae if the joints are unstable. As bone spurs grow, they press on nearby nerves, a condition known as spinal stenosis, and can be quite painful. Pain in the lower extremities can originate in the spine.