Pain in right quad / connected to disc?

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labgeek

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I am kinda stumped on this pain I have been having.

Just some info on me...I have a herniated disc in my lower back. Was told it was non-surgical. I have lost 70lbs and it really only bothers me when I do a lot of lifting / standing, that kind of stuff. Sometimes when I do a lot of cleaning it will bother me.

For the last 6 weeks I have been having this pain in my right Quad. It mainly hurts when I walk. A little tender to the touch. Hurts worse when I am pushing off when I walk than when my foot is taking the step forward. I was wondering if this was connected to my herniated disc at all.

Thanks for any info. Kat
 
Hello labgeek,

Welcome to the board.

I would guess that your quad pain is most definitely associated with the herniated disc. This is a very common symptom, sometimes the only one a person has. My husband is a runner. I can recall that 15 years ago for about 4 months, I would catch him rubbing his quad, or he would mention that he guessed he'd pulled a muscle. He had no other pains or symptoms until the morning of Christmas Eve when he woke up and could not get out of bed. I'll spare you all the details but it turned out to be a ruptured disc.

What happens is that if the disc is bulging, it often presses up against the nerve root. The location of the referred pain often will tell the doctor which disc is giving you the problem. I'm guessing in your case it is most likely L4 or L5. These nerve roots exit in the lower back and bundle together with the sciatic nerves where they go across part of the buttocks, and down the back of the leg into the feet.

If you want to give your herniated disc a chance of healing, you need to avoid any activities that involve bending, twisting or lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk. Try to avoid exercise for about 6 weeks to give it a chance to heal. Also avoid anything where you are bending your back backwarRAB in extension. Do not sleep on your stomach. Put a pillow under your knees when on your back, and between your knees when on your side, so your top hip is level with your shoulder. Use ice for 20 minutes at a time on your lower back (where the disc is located -- below your waist). Take anti-inflammatories like advil or aleve.

I think the doc said it was "non-surgical" because surgery is never the first choice for a herniated disc. They will always try conservative measures first, things like physical therapy, epidural injections, rest, etc. What I think your doc meant was that you were not a candidate for surgery at the time.:)

Congrats on the weight loss. That is terrific! I find activities like housework and gardening are about the two worst things for me...again, the bending and lifting thing.

If you really baby your back at this point, you may be able to avoid surgery in the future. It is worth making the effort.

Good luck, and keep posting with your questions.

xx M:wave:M
 
Thanks for the advice. You want to hear something goofy? At first I thought the pain was from my new car. I went from a minivan to a corolla (I commute an hour to and from work) and it started about a couple weeks after getting the new car. I was moving the seats up, down, back, forward, thinking I was somehow making my right leg sore.

I am probably getting ready to have carpal tunnel surgery, so that will be a good time to be able to baby my back, since I won't get to do anything anyways. I appreciate the time you took for the detailed reply. Kat
 
That's interesting because you'll find the depth of a seat can make a big difference in which seats are comfortable and which are not. Some will really hit you wrong on the back of the thigh and it can be very aggravating. It doesn't make your herniated disc worse, but it will make you more uncomfortable. I find I am much more comfortable driving or riding in a van or SUV where you sit up, rather than in a car where your legs are more extended.

If you are serious about trying to heal the disc on your own, you should try to get off your feet as often as possible...like 10 minutes each hour. Lying down helps unload your discs...which just means you are relieving the pressure of gravity pushing down on your spine...giving them a little break, as it were. It isn't the same to just sit.
 
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