What causes leg pain?

There are various causes of leg pain. If the pain is accompanied by significant swelling, it is strongly recommended that you consult a doctor to rule out other diagnoses.

A common cause of pain in the leg is an irritation of a nerve coming from the spine such as the sciatic nerve. A low back injury is the usual culprit that can result in this type of nerve irritation, which can cause numbness, tingling, or a weakness in the leg or foot. Conservative treatment for such an issue usually involves physiotherapy through manual therapy and exercise for the low back.

Another contributing factor for leg pain is biomechanics, which can involve decreased joint mobility or muscle weakness. Joint stiffness in the hip, the knee, or the foot can have repercussions for the rest of the leg since these joints work in concert with each other like the gears of a machine. Weakness in a muscle can at times lead to a lack of joint mobility. Furthermore, this weakness can cause muscle tension which results in pain. Manual therapy and specific exercises help improve joint mobility. Certain exercises can also target muscles that need strengthening. In short, physiotherapy helps restore proper biomechanics to reduce pain in the legs.

For more information, you can consult my website francisphysio.com or contact me 514-963-0519.

Wallet in the pocket

At the clinic, I have noticed that there are men who put their wallet in the back pocket of their pants. This tendency causes the pelvis to be tilted when sitting, which can lead to pain in the back and the hip. Therefore, make sure to place your wallet in the side pockets instead.

Does treating the mid-back affect the low back and the hip?

Throughout my extensive experience in treating back pain, it is clear that the mobility of the thoracic spine (mid-back) and rib cage plays a key role in issues in the upper and low back as well as in the pelvic region and the hip. Currently, I have patients experiencing pain in the lumbosacral area (low back) and the hip, who have greatly benefited from manual therapy (joint mobilizations) at the thoracic spine. I am also treating a dancer with pain and chronic stiffness at the lumbar spine, the sacro-iliac joint (between the base of the spine and the pelvis), and the hip, who experienced significant positive results from manual therapy and McKenzie exercises (specific repeated movements) targeting the thoracic region.

There are two main reasons for the effectiveness of treatments at the thoracic region for the lumbopelvic area and the hip: (1) The functional connectivity between the thoracic spine, the low back, and the pelvis means that these areas work in concert with each other to enable the execution of various movements; (2) the thoracolumbar fascia functions as a crucial muscular link between these different parts.