September 29th, 2014
Arm or Leg Pain Without Weakness: Causes and Solutions
The human body is a complex and fascinating machine. Bones, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, organs and dozens of other intricate parts all play a role in keeping us healthy and functioning correctly. When something isn’t right in our bodies, we can usually tell because we experience the physical symptoms of whatever root problem we are facing. But some symptoms are more straightforward than others.
However, when you move into the world of orthopedics and the inner working of the musculoskeletal system, symptoms can become a little more mysterious. Let’s say you are experiencing arm or leg pain without weakness. You may think that this is being caused by an injury to a bone or muscle in the part of the body that’s experiencing the pain. But you just can’t seem to recall a time that you hurt your arm or leg badly enough that you would have this consistent, sharp pain for a prolonged period of time. So, what could it be?
Solving the Mystery of Arm or Leg Pain Without Weakness
If you had damaged muscles or injured a bone, then the pain you are experiencing in your limbs would be accompanied by weakness as well. But without weakness, the symptom of persistent arm or leg pain is often traced back to a spinal problem.
While a spine condition can seem like an intimidating issue to face, it is much better to have the problem addressed and remedied than to continue to suffer with the pain you are dealing with on a daily basis. The symptom of arm or leg pain without weakness can be a very serious one and should be treated as such.
When to Call a Doctor:
- If your arm or leg pain has persisted for over 6 weeks
- When the pain is so sharp or severe that it limits your ability to perform daily functions
- If the pain is accompanied by tingling or numbness
Possible Causes:
If arm pain is the culprit, chances are that you actually have a problem in the cervical region of your spine. Leg pain on the other hand would indicate an issue with the lower back or lumbar portion of the spine.
Spinal Stenosis: The narrowing of the spinal column, which causes pressure on the spinal cord and the nerves exiting from it.
Cervical Myelopathy: Arm function is often affected because this condition causes the compression of the top of the spinal column and neck area.
Herniated Disk (Cervical or Lumbar): As the vertebrae in the spine age or maintain injury, they may bulge out of alignment in the spinal column, causing pain and pressing on the nerves.
Potential Solutions:
Fusion: Vertebrae above and below the herniation are fused together to prevent further disc movement in that area of the spine.
Discectomy: This procedure removes a small piece of bone from the spinal column in order to create space and relieve pressure on an affected nerve.
Non-Operative Herniated Disc Treatment: Your physician may recommend that you take analgesic or anti-inflammatory medication to help ease the pain. Or, steroid injection or physical therapy combined with periods of rest may help to manage the symptoms of arm or leg pain without weakness.
Don’t let undiagnosed pain in your extremities continue any longer without seeing an orthopedic specialist. For more information, please visit us here or contact us at 1-800-321-9999.
