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Shooting pain in shin - is it connected to previous back injury

Around 4 years ago I had an accident and was told I have bilateral pars fractures of my spine at L4. I had a few months of physio and was discharged. Ever since then I have had sciatica come and go and lots of pains in my back and legs. Recently I have started to experience sharp stabbing pains in my left shin - they only last a few seconds but are enough for me to cry out in pain and I am unable to bear weight on my leg. This usually happens when I'm walking, I'm not sure if this is related to my back injury or if it is seperate - shin splints for example. I have also been told that I am flat footed and roll my feet as I walk, could this be part of it?

Any help would be fantastic x
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Avatar universal
You may have isthmic spondylolisthesis which has become symptommatic. Pars defects happen around age 7 for those born with a predisposition to a weakened spine on or around the l/4, l/5, s/1 levels. In the teenage years, it can turn into pars fractures which can result in spondylolisthesis. Usually it happens bilateral however it isn't uncommon to happen only on one side. I'm here to tell u my story. I have a grade 2-3 spondylolisthesis which resulted in severe foraminal stenosis which then caused significant root nerve compression at my l5/s/1 level. It began with my bilateral pars defect which resulted in bilateral pars fractures which turned into bilateral spondylolisthesis. I went to the dr and instacare so many times becuz I had never experienced root nerve compression and my dr never explained what I could possibly expect to feel. As a matter of fact, he tried to tell me the pain and weakness in my legs was in no way connected to my back and that it was in my head and I coud benefit from a psychological evaluation. I thought I must be going crazy as at first, I thought I ruptured my anchilles tendons cuz the backs of my ankles, feet, up the backs of my legs a bit were engulfed in excruciating pain...hurt to walk and put pressure on them, hurt to lay down and have anything touching them...nothing was wrong. Thought I had to have broken my shin bone in my left leg cuz it actually hurt the bone to walk on it...exrays came back normal. This is to mention just a few of my trips for leg pain to the dr. I did extensive research, joined many spine forums, talked with my chiropractor, learned to read and interpret my mri reports and back exrays. It IS directly tied into ur back, ur leg pains have everything to do with ur pars fractures if ur spondylolisthesis has caused foraminal stenosis or root nerve compression!!!!! I am always here if u want to talk and welcome *hugs*
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Avatar universal
What may be helpful is obtaining a mri of ur lumbar region and having an emg study done. I eventually got an emg study done which showed choronic and acute l5/s1 radiculopathy along with motor root nerve damage in some of my leg muscles which caused the pain I was feeling in them. I wish u the best.  -S-
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