The sacrum is a special triangular bone located at the base of the spine. It consists of 5 vertebrae fused together. Among all the painful manifestations in the spine, pain in the sacrum, extending to the legs, is usually characterized as the most severe.
Unfortunately, in women, a similar pathology (referred to in medicine as sacrodinia) is much more common than in men. According to the researchers, this is due to the fact that the muscle tissue of the fair sex is weaker than the male, and during pregnancy, for example, the load on the spine is quite strong.
How to pinpoint where it hurts
Before we move on to describing the symptoms of various ailments that cause this kind of discomfort, we need to take into account one important detail. Do not confuse pain in the sacrum, extending to the legs, with pain in the lumbar spine. How to differentiate similar sensations?
To do this, try to examine yourself. Press firmly with your fist or fingers on the spinous processes of the described bone, not missing the gaps between them. If the sacrum is healthy, then there should not be additional pain from such an examination. Another sign of problems with the base of the spine is the inability to lie on your back, especially on a hard surface.
Causes of pain in the sacrum
Severe pain in the sacrum, extending to the leg, can be caused by various reasons:
- injuries due to which there is a displacement of the pelvic and, as a result, the sacral bones of the spine;
- the patient has osteochondrosis;
- thrombophlebitis of the pelvic and iliac veins;
- staph infection or tuberculosis;
- serious metabolic disorders;
- the development of malignant or benign tumors;
- gynecological problems (for example, the wrong location of the uterus);
- the presence of chronic prostatitis in men;
- sigmoid colon expansion;
- as well as strong psycho-emotional stress (such pains are characterized as psychogenic).
From all of the above, it becomes clear that the pain syndrome we are considering is always just one of the signs of any pathology that the patient has. So, when it appears, you must definitely consult a doctor for a detailed examination and making an accurate diagnosis.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis
Now we will take a closer look at how the diseases manifest themselves, the main symptom of which was the described pain. One of the causes that cause it may be osteochondrosis. And, as a rule, pain in the sacral region, extending to the leg - this is not the only sign of this pathology. The aforementioned disease is manifested by a feeling of intense tension and stiffness in the back, tingling and numbness of the lower extremities in the foot and lower leg. The patient has problems trying to bend over.
An increase in pain can also be caused by an intervertebral hernia, which occurs as a result of osteochondrosis. In this case, the pain can be given to the inguinal region and to both or one lower limb. And especially strongly, this symptom manifests itself in the morning, subsiding towards evening.
Symptoms of bone displacement in the sacral region
Another cause of pain in the base of the spine may be a displacement of the bones in the sacral region to the left or right. Such a pathology in medicine is defined as a violation of the functions of the sacroiliac joint.
In the event that the displacement occurs to the right side, the patient is concerned about the pain in the sacrum, extending to the right leg (such irradiation is caused by circulatory disturbance in the limb). They are often accompanied by cramps and muscle pain.
In addition, a person’s liver and gastrointestinal tract function deteriorates noticeably (heaviness appears in the stomach, digestion is disturbed, as a result, the patient suffers from constant diarrhea), and the general tone decreases. At the same time, patients often lose weight, and women develop gynecological pathologies.
With left-sided displacement in people, there is not only pain in the sacrum, giving to the left leg, but also impaired functioning of the heart and lungs (the result is frequent catarrhal diseases). In addition, the named pathology is characterized by weight gain in the patient and a tendency to constant constipation.
Manifestations of thrombophlebitis of the pelvic and iliac veins
Sometimes, as a result of inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs, surgery or in the postpartum period, patients may develop a complication in the form of pelvic thrombophlebitis. Often it is a consequence of the spread of this disease from the lower extremities.
Symptoms that represent his clinical picture include, in some cases, painful sensations in the bladder, vagina and lower back. For example, patients may complain that pain in the sacrum on the left gives to the leg, or that there was a feeling of creeping goosebumps in the limb.
Due to the abundant branching of the venous network, the pathological process often captures both sides, and the patient has edema of both legs and the expansion of veins in them.
Manifestations of sacrodinia against the background of diseases of the pelvic organs
Irradiation of sacral pain in the lower extremities occurs in the case of some diseases of the pelvic organs.
So, the presence of chronic prostatitis in men can be manifested not only by frequent urination, a burning sensation and a decrease in potency - patients often complain that their sacrum is aching and sore on one side and gives to the leg (usually in the opposite direction). Often, the pain also covers the external genitalia, appears in the rectum or in the suprapubic region. It can turn out to be barely expressed, and so strong that it deprives sleep.
By the way, often in the case when pain is localized in the sacral section, men unsuccessfully try to treat themselves with home remedies, thinking that they have sciatica.
And women can suffer from sacral pain during menstruation. In this case, it has a weak localization and has the property of radiating to the lower extremities. Its source in this case are the sacro-uterine ligaments.
In some representatives of the weaker sex, the uterus is tilted back and located so that, increasing before menstruation, it presses on the nerve endings in the sacral region. This causes severe pain, which extends to the lower abdomen and lower back.
Diagnosis of sacral pain
If a person regularly experiences pain in the sacrum, extending to the legs, he should definitely see a neurologist, traumatologist, orthopedist, urologist or gynecologist to accurately determine the underlying disease.
To make a correct diagnosis and understand what exactly caused the syndrome, the doctor needs to find out whether the patient’s sensations are associated with pathology in this particular bone, or whether they are a consequence of a particular disease. For this purpose, an examination and a detailed survey of the patient are carried out. And to clarify the data, as a rule, they use x-rays and computed tomography, which allows to exclude or confirm the presence of tumors, as well as substantively examine the state of the pelvic bones and the sacral spine. For women, the best way to diagnose (in the presence of gynecological problems) are the results of an MRI scan.
Treatment
It is clear that in cases where the sacrum hurts and gives to the leg, just as with pain in this area without irradiation, the underlying disease should be eliminated first. Together with him, the exhausting symptom will go away.
But if the patient is in such a state that he needs additional analgesia, doctors prescribe analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (for example, Diclofenac) in the form of tablets and intravenous injections. In some cases, the use of procaine blockade is effective . The latter are the introduction of certain drugs (Novocain, Lidocaine, Kenalog, etc.) into the spinal canal, ileal cavity, and also to the pain points of the muscles surrounding the affected area.
Another method that relieves pain in the buttock / sacrum, extending to the leg, is acupuncture and massage, which allow you to restore the normal position of the pelvic organs, if an offset was found, relieve tension in the muscles, and normalize blood circulation and lymph outflow.
General recommendations for pain in the sacrum
For any pain in the sacral region, doctors forbid the patient to make sudden movements and undergo heavy physical exertion. In order to strengthen the bone and muscle apparatus, the patient must fully eat, receiving a full volume of vitamins and minerals. Sour-milk products, nuts, vegetables and fruits must be present in the diet of each patient.
To reduce pain in the sacrum, extending to the legs, and any other discomfort in this area, the patient is recommended to wear a semi-rigid sacro-lumbar corset. It somewhat restricts the movement of the spine in the named department, thus providing him with peace and promoting recovery.
The corset is selected strictly according to size, which allows it to be worn under clothes for work (and at home) until the pain disappears. But its use must be agreed with the attending physician. Be healthy!