Extreme pain in lower leg


(USA)

I have pain in my right leg that starts a few inches below my knee and radiates down and towards the outside of my leg. I noticed the pain last week, but it got better after a day or so. I went shopping yesterday and the pain came back. It is much worse than last week.

My husband thought it would be funny to poke my leg. I cried the pain was so intense. I have also had a numb-like feeling in my right outer thigh for several weeks.
Five years ago, I was diagnosed with pelvic instability on my left side at my sacroiliac joint. I was pregnant at the time, but after I gave birth, I did PT and felt better.

I was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia on the right side of my face a year later with typical symptoms and atypical symptoms. Today I deal with more of the atypical that ranges from mild numbness to severe burning numbness. Before the diagnosis, I had an MRI to rule out MS. I have noticed over the last couple years that I can relieve some of the pain in my face, if I relax my neck and shoulders and stretch my head towards my left shoulder (left ear towards left shoulder). This is the only relief I have found and it only helps if I hear a popping sound in my neck as I stretch.

I know that I should see a doctor, but I fear the return of the more severe pain in my face. I don't know enough about how the body works to feel confident that I won't have a set back.

Is it possible that the leg pain is coming from the instability in my pelvis? Could a chiropractor help with the lower body pain without affecting the face?

Hello,
The facial pain, and the pain in your leg are almost certainly quite unrelated. Treating one unlikely to affect the other, either better or worse.

Let's start with the facial pain. Firstly, please don't get into the habit of popping your own neck, even if it relieves your facial pain. That should only be done with distraction (as in a chiropractic manipulation). Otherwise your neck will age quite quickly as the cartilage in the joint is damaged and you'll get the same pain down your arm as you are now having in the leg.

If you have any TMJ (jaw joint) symptoms at all, clicking, popping, pain, then see a chiro who works with the TMJ. It's a very frequent cause of facial pain.

Now for that lower leg pain. Any lower back pain? Does bending forwards, backwards, to the side affect your back or lower leg?

Type "Slump Test" into the Search this site function at C-H. Do the test and leg me know the result.

Leg pain can originate in the lower back, but it could also be a SI problem, or even a local problem in the leg. I don't have enough info to answer your question intelligently.

If you can find that same person who helped you several years ago, that's where I'd suggest you start. Perhaps also start the lower back exercises you'll find at C-H, but I'm assuming it's from your back, and may not be.

I hope this contributes.

Dr B

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