SYMPTOMS IN MORE DETAIL:

 

Pain: When sharp indicates inflammation, possibly of a tendon, bursa or ligament.

Ache: Commonly associated with muscular problems including tightness or overuse.

Restriction: If the joint(s) fail to move, compensatory strain is placed on the rest of the area.  Restoring good mechanical function is important for the injury to heal.

Weakness: This can occur secondary to pain, trauma or nerve damage.  It is often a more involved symptom and needs to be fully examined to determine the cause.

Swelling: This will often occur after a trauma, most commonly after a sprain of the area.

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Facet Dysfunction

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Facet joints are small stabilizing joints located between and behind adjacent vertebrae. They are found at every spinal level (except at the top level) and provide mechanical stability in the neck and lower back. Facet joint disorders are some of the most common of all the recurrent disabling lower back and neck problems and can sometimes cause serious symptoms.

 

Acute episodes of lumbar joint pain are typically intermittent and generally unpredictable, acute flare ups often can occur a few times a month or a year, and can be caused from an array of reasons. Symptoms of facet joint pain tends to cause discomfort locally, and is generally aggravated more so when leaning backwards, rather than leaning forwards. However, in some cases, facet joints can also cause radiating pain into the buttocks and down the back of the upper leg, which is different compared with disc herniations (slipped discs), which can create symptoms in the front / back of the leg and below the knee.

 

Alternatively, facet joint pain is a very common condition that many of our patients present. Evidence shows along with recommendation from the Department of Health (NICE Guidelines) that treatment including manipulation, soft tissue techniques and home exercises are effective forms of treatment for these conditions.

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Disc Herniation

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This is a less common presentation of back and leg pain, with a prevalence of approximately 1-3 % of symptomatic herniations, although recent studies have found that up to 50% of the population can have disc herniations without symptoms, therefore, not all disc herniations cause symptoms. Herniations usually occur due to tearing of the outer fibres of the intervertebral disc allowing the softer central matter to bulge out irritating the adjacent spinal nerves, which is characteristic of producing buttock, leg pain, weakness of the foot and often associated with numbness and pins and needles. This complaint does not always present with back pain and is often referred to as a slipped disc or sciatica.

Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction 

The sacroiliac joints are two locations at the bottom of the spine which connects sacrum and forms the pelvis. This location is a common area for pain, and patients will often point to one side or the other and report pain locally, or even radiating into the buttock and or around the groin.

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SI joint pain does not often refer past the knee, and patients often report pain on sitting, from sitting to standing, and pain when slightly leaning forwards as when brushing teeth. Pregnant women can often have pain around this area.

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Scoliosis

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This occurs due to twisting, in reaction to some of the vertebrae being angled or misshapen. Scoliosis can exist from birth if genetic, or secondary to trauma, if a fracture has occurred and don't heal correctly leaving a slight irregularity of the vertebrae. However, even though chiropractic care can not alter the structural problem, there are many benefits to receiving chiropractic treatment from pain relief and improving joint, muscle and nerve function.

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References:

 

Perolat, R. et al. (2018) ‘Facet joint syndrome: from diagnosis to interventional management’, Insights into Imaging, 9(5), pp. 773–789. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13244-018-0638-x.

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NICE (2020) Recommendations | Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s: assessment and management | Guidance | NICE, Nice.org.uk. NICE.

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Dydyk, A.M., Ngnitewe Massa, R. and Mesfin, F.B. (2022) Disc Herniation, PubMed. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441822/#:~:text=A%20herniated%20disc%20is%20a.