Thank you for your question! I am sorry to hear about your shin pain, and recent spine & nerve problems. I agree, neuropathic pain (the type of pain originating from the nervous system, or spinal cord) is a very different kind of pain than the type felt with shin splints. One type of pain affects the tissues and muscles, while the other is affecting your nerves. Kind of like the difference between hitting your funny bone and getting a paper cut.
The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve in the human body, beginning in the lower back and extending down to the toes. Towards the lower thigh the sciatic nerve divides into two nerves, tibial and peroneal, which extend over different parts of the lower leg. With sciatica, leg pain is generally worse than lower back pain and the specific area of pain may be associated with the location of the herniated disc. Often times compression of higher lumbar nerves such as L2, L3, and L4 can cause sciatica pain to the front of the thigh and into the shin.
The shin pain you are experiencing may very well be a result of the sciatica and the slipped disc, seeing how leg pain is one of the most common symptoms experienced with those specific conditions. Certain medications or physical therapies may help relieve the pain you are experiencing. More information can be received on http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/lower-back-pain/low-back-pain-and-sciatica-radicular-pain.
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Hi Lula,
Thank you for your question! I am sorry to hear about your shin pain, and recent spine & nerve problems. I agree, neuropathic pain (the type of pain originating from the nervous system, or spinal cord) is a very different kind of pain than the type felt with shin splints. One type of pain affects the tissues and muscles, while the other is affecting your nerves. Kind of like the difference between hitting your funny bone and getting a paper cut.
The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve in the human body, beginning in the lower back and extending down to the toes. Towards the lower thigh the sciatic nerve divides into two nerves, tibial and peroneal, which extend over different parts of the lower leg. With sciatica, leg pain is generally worse than lower back pain and the specific area of pain may be associated with the location of the herniated disc. Often times compression of higher lumbar nerves such as L2, L3, and L4 can cause sciatica pain to the front of the thigh and into the shin.
The shin pain you are experiencing may very well be a result of the sciatica and the slipped disc, seeing how leg pain is one of the most common symptoms experienced with those specific conditions. Certain medications or physical therapies may help relieve the pain you are experiencing. More information can be received on http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/lower-back-pain/low-back-pain-and-sciatica-radicular-pain.
I hope this helps, take care!
February 10, 2010 - 9:21pmThis Comment
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