lower back pain with shooting pains in butt and front of legs

[gigi6993]

I have hurt my back some how. I am hurting in my lower back and have shooting pains in my butt and the front of my legs. It makes it worse when I sit down. Last week I couldn't even move or turn over in the bed. My lower back is still hurting, but not as bad as it was. Now all of my pain is in my legs and bottom. I have not fallen or anything, so I don't know exactly what is going on. This is the second week I have hurt. A long time ago I got kicked very hard in my tail bone, and then a few years later, I was sleding in the snow and fell off of the sled and fell down onto a small tree stump (and of course it was right on my tail bone!) Could this pain be coming from those injuries so long ago? I am 37 years old, and feel like I am in good health. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what may be wrong with me?? Thanks for any information you can give me.

[Lilcntrydarling]

I had an accident at work 2 years ago and have been in serious pain ever since. The pain is mainly in my back but has traveled down my butt and legs, a month and a half ago I went to the doctor as the pain went into my arm (so severe I did not sleep for more than 2 hours a night for a month) I still have loss of feeling from the middle of my forearm and my thumb, pointer finger and third finger. It was so severe I could not move it at all. Dr. took an xray and said nothing is broken so go home basicly. I can not lay on my back as I can't straighten my back. I now walk slow as the pain gets so bad, have had numerous test and nothing showed up, I also get swelling in knees, and sharp almost poker burning pain that shoots up my spine alot. Any clues?

[Torchy]

Your problem sounds like Sciatica, the symptoms are generally lower back pain with an intense pain in the buttock (mostly the left one)and shooting pains down the sciatic nerves which are long nerves that run down your legs to the ankles. Visit your Chiropractor he will help you and use ibuprofen its an anti infammitory to help with the nerve.It generally can ease very quickly with treatment.

[emmol]

I was at my job and had been doing work where you lift furniture and very heavy things. I started to develop these back pains. I had never had back pains before in my life.They come and go but now there back. it feels like shooting pains in my lower left side of my back down to my leg. like someone is pulling on my muscles.I've been to a doctor and got a MRI but nothing was said. Sometimes i can barely move.Can someone please tell me why it still comes and goes even though i have stopped that work a while ago?

[SHER]

I'M NEW TO MEDHELP.ORG.  I WAS IN A TERRIBLE HEAD-ON COLLISION, (60 mph), BY A DRUNK DRIVER. I HAVE SUFFERED EVER SINCE.  I HAD TWO FRACTURED RIBS, A FRACTURED TAILBONE TOWARDS THE RIGHT SIDE, AND HEAD/FACE INJURIES. IT TOOK YEARS FOR SOME OF MY SYMTOMS TO SHOW UP. THE ACCIDENT WAS IN MAY OF 97.  
I HAVE TERRIBLE LOWER BACK PAIN ALL THE TIME.  DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER IT CHANGES.  HOWEVER, OVER THE LAST 2-3 YRS, THE PAIN HAS GOTTON REALLY BAD.  I NOTICE THAT I CAN BE ON MY FEET THRU OUT THE DAY AND THEN WHEN I LAY DOWN IN BED, (IN A VERTICLE POSITION), STRAIGHT, I FEEL THE PAIN INCREASE, AND THEN I HAVE A BURNING SESANTION THAT TRAVELS THRU OUT MY LOW BACK AREA.  I ALSO HAVE RIGHT LEG PAIN, AND SOMETIMES I CANNOT STAND VERY LONG ON THAT LEG, I HAVE TO SIT DOWN.  I HAVE RIGHT SHOULDER, ARM, AND NECK PAIN, TERRIBLE. I SUFFER FROM MIAGRAINS, WHEN I GET THEM, I HAVE TO JUST GO HOME AND LAY IN A DARK ROOM, AND TRY TO SLEEP THEM OFF.  THIS ACCIDENT HAS CAUSED ALL SORTS OF ISSUES.  RIGHT AFTER THE ACCIDENT I SEEN A KENISIAOLOGIST, BUT IT WAS STILL REALLY EARLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT, I WAS SEEING HIM, BECAUSE I HAD JAW PROBLEMS, AFTER THE AIRBAG HIT ME IN THE FACE, SO I WAS SENT TO HIM, SINCE MY JAW WAS OUT OF PLACE, HE WAS SUPPOSE TO BE TO HELP WITH THE REMAINDER PARTS OF MY BODY, I GUESS MY JAW BEING DISLOCATED, WOULD CAUSE OTHER PARTS OF MY BODY TO BE "OFF SET". I WAS SUPPOSE TO HAVE A METAL PLATE PUT IN MY JAW, BUT OPTED NOT TO GO THRU SURGERY, WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO LOOSE FEELING IN MY LIPS, AND NOT MOVE MY EYEBROWS, SO I JUST LEFT IT. AS THE YRS HAVE GONE BY, MY BACK IS REALLY BAD, IF I TRY TO BEND OVER, MY LOWER BACK TENDS TO GIVE OUT, AND IT'S LIKE A "SHARP PAIN" ACROSS THE BOTTOM. IT'S REALLY BAD!! I HAVE A HARD TIME BENDING OVER TO BRUSH MY TEETH, I HAVE TO USALLY SIT DOWN. MY LOW BACK DOESN'T REALLY HAVE ANY SUPPORT.  I WENT TO A SPINAL SPECIALIST IN THE SUMMER OF 2004, AND HAD MRI DONE ON MY LOW BACK, AND ALSO MY RIGHT KNEE, (AS I HAVE A BAD RIGHT KNEE AS WELL), THE TEST CAME BACK THAT I HAVE DEGENITIVE SPINAL CONDITION, HOWEVER, I KNOW THAT THE DOCTORS DON'T ALWAYS WANT TO ADMIT, REALLY  THAT IT COUDL BE FROM THE ACCIDENT, THEY ARE AFRAID OF BEING INVOLVED IN A LAWSIT AGAINST THE OTHER PERSON. HOWEVER, THE DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT A "ROD" IN MY BACK MIGHT BE MY ONLY OPTION, I HAVE OPTED TO STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM THAT AS POSSIBLE. AFRAID. ALSO I HAD BEEN GOING TO A CHIROPRATOT TO HAVE A "GAS" PREASSURE RELEASED FROM MY NECK, BECAUSE SINCE THE ACCIDENT, I SUFFER TERRIBLE MIAGRAINS, AND SINCE ALL THIS, MY RIGHT SHOULDER AND ARM ARE USALLY IN PAIN. MY RIGHT ARM IS VERY WEAK.  
WHAT MADE ME FINALLY LOOK INTO OTHERS W/SIMILAR SYMTOMS, IS THAT YESTEDAY MORNING, I COULD HADLEY LIFT MY RIGHT ARM, TO MY MOUSE FOR TH ECOMPUTE, IT FELT REALLLLLLY HEAVY, THEN TODAY, I HAVE A --VERRRRRY SOAR-- TRICEP MUSCLE, THAT IS VERY SOAR TO THE TOUCH. VERRRRY SOAR. ONE OF MY DOC'S DID TELL ME A FEW YEARS AGO, THAT THE MUSCEL COULD DIE, IF IT'S NOT USED. WELL IT HAS GOTTON WEAKER OVER THE LAST 3 YRS.  I DO TRY TO WEAR SUPPORTING SHOES FOR MY BACK, WHEN I CAN, BUT I DO WORK IN A PROFESSIONAL OFFICE, AND DO HAVE MEETINGS, SO I CANT ALWAYS WEAR SUPPORTIVE SHOES.  THE ONE ISSUE I HAVE NOT SEE ANYONE ELSE RAISE, IS IM ALSO CONCERNED, ALTHOUGH I SEEM TO ALWAYS BE COLD, MY RIGHT HAD WILL GET EXTREMELY COLD, WHEREAS MY LEFT HAND WILL NOT.  I WONDER IF MY MUSCLE IS REALLY STARTING TO DIE, AND THE CIRCULATION IS JUST THAT POOR? ANY THOUGHTS FROM ANYONE, WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!    

[wyldwoman]

I have had problems with pain down my butt and legs Off and on for about a year then it continued more all summer '06 and fall. I couldnt play volleyball, walk for exercise or stand for very long.  Finally went to my physician and he sent me to a neurologist and had a MRI and found I have a big herniation in my L4and L5 disc area. I would recommend seeing your physician about it and go from there. Waiting to long can cause bigger problems later. I wish I would have done it sooner. Could be arthritis like they told me with an X-ray. I insisted on an MRI and thats when the herniation was found. Good luck

[TLynn]

Are you by any chance taking a statin for lowering cholesterol?  The statins can attack the muscle tissues and cause pain.  I had the same pain, so bad I was not able to walk normally.  It started in my lower back and went around my hips into my front and inner thighs.  After stopping the statin I was back to normal within a short time.   Good luck