There are two types of leg pain… REFERRED and RADIATING. leg pain… OR BOTH. One is Sciatica- the other is not… but they can feel similar and be felt in the same places- in the back, buttock, hamstring, or calf area.
Referred pain is just as it sounds… pain referred or signals sent from one place to another. So, in the spine- the structures like the joints and discs in the back can send pain signals to parts of the body (other than just the back) into the buttock and down the leg. Depending on which structure is irritated will determine where you feel your symptoms… Referred pain is “non specific” and LARGER in coverage than radiating pain. It is often described as deep and achy and hard to pin point exactly…
On the other hand- Radiating pain often involves irritation or compression of the nerve in the back… often termed as sciatica. Radiating pain takes a more specific path- and is often described as electric, shooting, or burning… you might even feel numbness or tingling.
And because a herniated DISC is the number one cause of SCIATICA many people have BOTH types of pain… which can be felt in the buttock, hamstring, or calf area.
The key to solving either of these is to understand the “TRIGGERS” or the activities, things, or positions that make your back, buttock, leg, or calf pain worse. Once you understand what makes it worse- you can often make it better.
Natural treatment involves using movement as medicine to move the spine and leg in ways that reduce pressure on painful structures allowing your body to heal.
I know- complicated right? Well, if you’re in the Royersford, Limerick, Collegeville, Phoenixville, or Trappe, PA area- and have questions about back pain treatment or need specialized physical therapy- call 484 552 3767 or email charliejohnsondpt@gmail.com
If you’re in Royersford, PA and are looking for natural back pain treatment- call 484 552 3767… you’ll be glad you did ;-)…
Meet Lizzie…
Lizzy suffered with back pain for about 12 years… and she tried almost everything. Images of her spine showed “nothing was wrong” with her, and acupuncture, chiropractic, reiki, yoga, and massage were only temporary fixes… the pain always came back and she always went back to treatment, searching for a “fix.”
I explained to Lizzie that we could likely help her, with SNIPER PT… that is super focused treatment tailored just to her. Not a “shotgun approach” to giving her 15 exercises and just hoping and praying that found relief.
You see, as a specialist physical therapist, I have been trained to find THE root cause of your issue, and attack it with just a couple VERY SPECIFIC exercises (1-3… max)- this way, when you feel relief- you know exactly what to do to continue healing yourself… what a powerful thing…
So, I started off by telling Lizzie that we would teach her to heal herself… so if she ever does feel something in the future- she can correct it (on her own) immediately… without having to rely on someone else to put her back in line- or fix her.
To her surprise (remember, she had seen many people before with little relief… and was a tad bit skeptical that we could actually do something for her) she was painfree of back pain in 4 visits… 12 years of back pain gone in 4 visits.
Pretty sweet!
She was so pleased with her treatment- she agreed to create a video for you… to share her experience and try to let others know about specialized physical therapy… at Physical Therapy & Johnson in Royersford, PA.
Here’s what she had to say about her experience.
“I struggled with lower back pain for 12 years. Doctors have x-rayed me and told me everything looks fine. I’ve tried Chiropractic, acupuncture, Reiki, yoga and massage to varying degrees of relief but nothing corrected the problem. A friend recently recommended Dr. Charlie. He listened to what I described and together we investigated what was going on. We worked out a series of exercises and simple adjustments to my daily life and within weeks I finally had relief. I am so very grateful to have found a healthcare practitioner who truly paid attention to me and was committed to figuring out what was going on.”
-Lizzie
Watch the video below to meet Lizzie and hear her story…
Also, I want to let you in on a secret… most people with back pain (who’ve had it for as long as Lizzie and have tried everything) think that back pain treatment needs to be complicated in order to get results…
Honestly, this is exactly why most back pain treatment fails…
Treatment that is complicated… with lots of fancy techniques and many exercises can backfire… causing confusion for both the healthcare practioner and YOU the person with back pain… because there are just too many variables. And at the end of the day, you have no idea what’s working and what’s not… make sense?!
Secondly, most back pain treatment causes you to rely on someone or something else… versus taking ownership of things and getting in the game… working together with someone else to help yourself relieve your back pain. While this isn’t the easy road… it brings you to the ultimate solution… one where you have the knowledge, understanding, and tools to heal yourself (versus spending money on someone else to “fix you.”)
Click here to watch my video and learn more about “Why Most Back Pain Treatment Fails.”
If you live in the Royersford, PA area, and have tried everything… but still have some fight in you and are looking for natural relief (and want to feel better like Lizzie) call 484 552 3767 today.
Happy Healing,
Dr. Charlie, PT, DPT, OCS
I’ve seen it many times… buttock pain and leg pain treated as if it were a problem in the back… when actually it was a problem in the hip.. ALL ALONG. Hip arthritis is a problem that occurs within the hip joint- causing gradual hip stiffness, pain with sitting or at night, pain with walking or going up the stairs, and groin pain, buttock pain, OR sometimes knee and shin pain.
In a past video post- I discuss some of the telltale signs of hip arthritis… Watch it by clicking below.
.Weakness in the hip muscles can create the hip muscles to become overworked… these hip muscles can send pain down the outside of the leg, into the shin, and even as far as the outer ankle bone. These muscles in the hip have been known to create a “pseudo” OR fake sciatica like pain… that even some of the best PTs and surgeons THINK is really coming from the back…
I treated one lady recently- who went all over town for her chronic buttock pain… she tried chiropractic care, physical therapy, had injections to her back, and was even recommended SURGERY- on her back! … BUT when we saw her- it was clear that the problem was actually coming from her hip.
Here’s what she had to say…
“For over a year I have been unable to walk more than 200 ft without having to stop and stretch to relieve the pain in my hip. I had been unsuccessfully treated for 4 months last year for trochanteric bursitis and osteoarthritis by my primary care doctor, an orthopedic surgeon, and many PTs. I decided to visit Charlie as a final attempt this summmer to find out what was causing my pain and correct the problem.
At my evaluation, Charlie had me walk until I felt the pain. While watching me walk, he noticed that I had gait issues. He prescribed an exercise program and 6 treatment sessions. Happily, by the 5th session, I was dancing at my daughter’s wedding and am now hiking every day with our puppy.” Thomasina
Pretty crazy that this was missed all along…
But, if you know the signs to look out for- then it can be easy to tell the difference between a problem coming from the back and/or from hip arthritis.
Click the blue link below to learn about what types of feelings hip arthritis causes.
If you’ve been dealing with buttock, hip, or leg pain, and everyone’s treating your back- thinking it’s the cause of the problem… and no one has really LOOKED closely at the hip joint- AND you’re not SOLD that your back is the issue- or even worse- have been telling everyone… It’s not coming from my back (but no one will listen)… I hope this post helps you.
If you’re in the Royersford, PA area and think you may have hip arthritis- call 484 552 3767 OR email me directly at charliejohnsondpt@gmail.com…