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20 years
I have a lower back pain. And I have a weird feeling(numb feeling) in my left buttcheek/leg And weakness.could it be a disc ?
Jul 9, 2015
2nd opinion

Dr. Zakia Dimassi Pediatrics
The type of pain you are describing, localized to the lower back and extending all the way down the leg, is the classical radicular pain.

Radicular pain often results from compression or inflammation of a spinal nerve. When the pain radiates down the back of the leg to the calf or foot, it is commonly known as sciatica. This type of pain is often deep and continuous (as opposed to intermittent). Assuming certain activities and positions, such as sitting or walking, can trigger this pain.
Radicular pain may be associated with numbness and tingling, muscle weakness and loss of specific reflexes. If there is actual impaired nerve function, this is indicative of a radiculopathy.

Radicular pain typically radiates into the lower extremity (thigh, calf, and occasionally the foot). This is because it directly follows the course of a specific spinal nerve root. The most common symptom of radicular pain is sciatica: pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve - down the back of the thigh and calf into the foot. Sciatica frequently occurs due to compression of the lower spinal nerve roots (L5 and S1).

A radiculopathy is a manifestation of one or more of the following processes: compression, inflammation and/or injury to a spinal nerve root in the low back. Causes of this type of pain, from the most to the less common, include:
Herniated disc with nerve compression: this is by and large the most common cause of radiculopathy
Foraminal stenosis meaning that there is narrowing of the hole through which the spinal nerve exits. This is usually encountered in elderly people.
Diabetes: unlikely at your age
Nerve root injuries: especially if you do heavy weight lifting and sit for long hours
Scar tissue from previous spinal surgery: I doubt this is the case for you.

In order to discern the underlying cause of radicular pain, a combination of the patient’s history (including a description of the pain) and a physical exam are essential. Imaging studies (MRI, CT scan) are used to confirm the diagnosis and will typically show the impingement on the nerve root.
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