I’ve had back pain for two weeks. The pain is worse when sitting and lying down. In addition, I have numbness in my left toe and tingling in my right foot and leg. The pain and tingling started simultaneously. Sometimes I also have stitches in my stomach. When I consult the internet I come up with things like tumor in the back. Can you reassure me? What can cause these complaints?
Natalie
Mark Chen, physical therapist:
Hi Natalie,
Searching for complaints on the internet is understandable, but in most cases frustrating and short-sighted. A negative idea about your complaint is not very good for your recovery so try to avoid it and seek the help of an expert.
Just a few small facts to put your mind at ease:
- Back pain is common among the population, about 80 percent are affected.
- Most forms of back pain are short-term (two to four weeks).
- A high percentage is muscle related and can be easily influenced by exercise/therapy.
- Pain, while very annoying, doesn’t have a good causal relationship with severity (meaning you can be in a lot of pain, but it doesn’t have to be anything bad).
Of course, that doesn’t mean that nothing is wrong. It is very difficult for me to determine the seriousness of your complaint. The very first thing we do in practice is to screen for ‘red flags’. This is a questionnaire through which we as therapists can see whether you have come to the right place with a physiotherapist, or whether you should be forwarded for further research.
You can complete the questionnaire here find. Take a look at it yourself and determine from there whether you need further research from a doctor. If not, see a physical therapist to find out what you can do to reduce the pain and prevent it for next time.
Do you also have a question? Then ask one of our experts. Always go to your doctor with urgent questions, the experts are not the right person for that. They also do not diagnose. You can find the other conditions here.
Mark Chen is a physiotherapist and NASM trained personal trainer. Since August 2014 he has been working in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Dry needling and medical taping are an important part of his vision and training predominates.
