The following information may help you understand many foot and lower leg problems:
Your feet and lower legs are innervated by the nerves that exit your lower back coming from the lumbar nerves roots four and five and the sacral nerves one and two. This may sound complicated, but what it means for you is that if you are lying down at night and get leg cramps, it is most likely an impingement of these nerves with regards to your sleep position.
In addition, when you begin to notice changes in the alignment of your toes or development of other foot deformities, as a podiatrist, I can often attribute these to muscle imbalances as a result of the compression of these nerve roots.
Medically speaking
Lumbar radiculopathy refers to disease involving the lumbar spinal nerve root. It is typically caused by a compression of the spinal nerve root. Sciatica is the term you may often hear people using. Many disease can cause lumbar radiculopathy, but most often it is a structural problem like a herniated disc, bone spur, or a traumatic event. When the disc is damaged, material in the disc leaks and squeezes the nerve root. This can cause numbness, tingling, pain, and weakness. Sciatica is pain that radiates from the back down the back of the leg, and is a common manifestation of lumbar radiculopathy.
Diagnosing Lumbar Sacral Radiculopathy
I always incorporate an exam for lumbar sacral radiculopathy when I assess my patients who suffer from foot pain, foot deformities or other lower leg problems because of the possibility for nerve root compression. In many cases, I will request an MRI of the low back along with nerve conduction studies to help make the proper diagnosis. Treatment varies depending on the actual cause of the radiculopathy.
In foot pain and need relief
We are here for all your foot care need. You may come and see me by scheduling an appointment at 305-229-9595.