back ache that shoots into my legs

[Tinkerbell27]

This problem started when I first got pregnant with my second child. It will come up out of the blue and disappear just as quickly. All of a sudden, my lower back will start aching on one side and then the pain will shoot down into my buttocks and legs. I thought it was just from the pregnancy but when my son was about 2 weeks old, it started again worse than ever. I have never had a job that required heavy lifting or been in any major accidents. Is there anything that could have triggered this? My son is now 15 weeks old and it is still going on quite severely.

[Sunshinesbright]

15 weeks past delivery.  I'd say read up on the word pelvic prolapse.  You could have a rectocele, enterolcele, or cystocele which all can happen after being pregnant and delivering a baby.  These are hernias that can affect your bladder and vagina.  The rectocele is a bulge you get  in your vagina if you have a bowel movement in the area.  You can get pain from that.  I did and it was one sided and affected my legs. Although there are still many doctors that swear you have no pain or discomfort with any of the prolapses. Check message boards also for pelvic prolapse, you will find lots of company.  Pelvic physical therapy helped me alot.  Surgery can help if its bad enough.  Talk to your gynecologist or get aPain management doc who specialize in womens pelvic problems. They both can help you sort our the area the pain is coming from.  Good luck.  

[Joface]

Just based on what you said - ie: aching on one side, shooting pain down into your legs from buttocks and mostly because you were pregnant at the time of first occurence, it sounds like you possibly have an inflamed sciatic nerve - possibly a bulging disc pressing on the sciatic nerve, which runs from the middle of your buttocks, down the (usually) outside of your leg and sometimes into the ankle.  When you sit down and then stand up (although neither position is comfortable!) it feels like you've stretched a rubber band to its limit and then let it snap!  Pregnant women and new moms are prime targets because first of all, the baby is positioned to potentially affect that nerve and after they're born, mothers tend to hold their children on one hip, instead of distributing their weight equally.  Definitely check with your doctor and get a diagnosis, but at this point, since the pain comes and goes, they will probably suggest conservative treatment - ibuprofen, heat or cold and maybe an epidural injection if the pain becomes bad enough and doesn't get better over time.  Google "sciatica" and see if the description fits your symptoms.  Good luck!  Jo

[Wolfpassion]

Hi, I've had this problem as well.  You should go to your doctor to have them evaluate it.  It could be anything from back muscle problems  to a herniated disc.  Your doc is the only one who can actually diagnose it.