Slip-disc without back pain is possible in patients with longstanding or chronic back pain issues. Back pain is a sign of a problem in muscles, ligaments, joints, or spinal discs. However, some may present with back issues without ever experiencing any pain in the back. Also, some have serious lower back issues such as a slip-disc with pain and numbness down the legs but no symptoms in their back at all. 

Leg Pain & Numbness Without Back Pain Explained

Slip disc without back pain can present as leg pain. Also, some may present with numbness, tingling, or weakness in the legs with slip-discs. The most common symptom of a slip-disc is back pain, but there are times when you can have a slip-disc without back pain.

1. “I don’t have pain in the lower back, but I have pain and numbness in the leg.
2. How can it be possible that the problem is coming from the back?
3. How can I have a slip-disc without back pain?

These are common concerns & question for patients, and it is not uncommon for people with low back issues to present symptoms in the legs only. Some individuals with a slipped disc in the lower back may have numbness or pain in the great toe. So, what are the connections between the legs and the lower back?

Before diving into the details, we like you to know that the chiropractors and physiotherapists of Chiropractic Specialty Center® (CSC) in Kuala Lumpur have the technology and skills to treat you better. Our back pain treatments have helped thousands of Malaysians recover faster without drugs or surgery. Learn how our lower back pain treatment in Malaysia is better when compared to competing centers. CSC treats all types of back pain, including slip-discs without surgery or injection. 

What Mechanisms Are Involved In The Sensation Or Feeling Of Back Pain?

Pain in the back is appreciated (felt) and transmitted to the brain by sensory fibers of the sinovertebral. The sinovertebral nerve (recurrent meningeal or the recurrent nerve of Luschka) is a motor and sensory nerve that senses pain and controls the functions:

1. Spinal discs
2. Spinal cords
3. Spinal bones & joints
4. Blood vessels to spinal bones, discs, joints& soft tissues
5. Spinal endplates & soft tissues (ligaments & muscles)

Longstanding or chronic back conditions such as spondylosis, spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc disease & slipped discs can pinch the sinovertebral nerve. Prolonged or excessive compression of the sinovertebral nerve may degenerate some or all fibers of the sinovertebral nerves. As the nerve degenerates, the nerve losses its functions. Loss of sensory functions is a primary reason why many slipped disc patients stop feeling back pain. Some will experience pain, numbness, and tingling in the buttocks or legs without back pain. 

Another reason why some will present with back problems such as a slip-disc without back pain is complications of previous therapies or procedures. For example, if you have had facet injections or radiofrequency ablation procedures (RFA), you may no longer feel the pain in your back. You will not feel back pain after these procedures because they damage the pain-sensing nerves. Once the pain-sensing nerve is damaged, it will no longer transmit pain singles to your brain.

Damaged Pain Sensing Nerves Due To Steroid Injections In Spinal Joints & Radiofrequency Ablation Procedure

Facet injections are invasive procedures that require the injection of an anti-inflammatory steroidal drug such as Dexamethasone or Triamcinolone, which can damage tissue and nerves. Damaged nerves due to needles or the injected steroid can cause irreparable issues with pain-sensing and motor nerves at the level of injections. 

Radiofrequency ablation therapy is another invasive procedure with the goal is to damage the pain-sensing nerves. Patients treated through steroid injections or radiofrequency will have nerve and tissue damage that, in time, can lead to additional or new symptoms such as numbness or pain down the legs. 

Causes Of Pain & Numbness In Thighs Or Legs Without Back Pain

The primary cause of pain and numbness down the legs is a pinched nerve. A pinched nerve can occur due to one or more of the following conditions:

• Slipped discs (bulging, protruded, prolapsed, ruptured, herniated, & extruded discs)
• Spinal canal stenosis
• Hypertrophy of ligamentum flavum
• Facet hypertrophy
• Spondylolysis & Spondylolisthesis
• Sciatica
• Posterior facet syndrome
• Piriformis syndrome

The spinal nerves in the lower back give out small branches that travel down the legs. The lower back nerves carry all the information to and from the legs’ skin, joints, and muscles. Therefore, all the sensations, joint position sense, and muscle strengths of the legs are mainly controlled by the nerves in the lower back. Basically, the nerves in the lower back play a significant role in what you feel in the legs and how you move your legs. 

If a nerve is irritated at the spinal level or in the lower back, it is possible to have radicular pain, numbness, or weakness in the legs. The spinal nerve from different segments of the lower back supplies specific areas in the legs. For example, L5 nerve roots provide the nerves to the muscles that raise the foot, and L5 nerve roots also carry the sensory information from the top of the foot. If the L5 nerve roots are irritated or pinched, there will be a weakness in the muscles that raise the foot and pain and numbness on top of the foot.

What Is The Best Treatment For Slip-Disc Without Back Pain Back In Malaysia?

Back pain, regardless of the cause or type, is best treated by non -invasive procedures. Even if you have the kind of back problem resulting from a slip-disc without back pain, we can help! The best treatment for any back pain that includes back issues with thigh and leg numbness, tingling, or pain is the integrative methods of physiotherapy combined with chiropractic. Invasive procedures such as facet injections or the RFA (radiofrequency ablation surgery) are ineffective long-term. Moreover, steroid and RFA or radiofrequency ablation surgery permanent issues that are irreversible. 

Chiropractic Specialty Center® provides holistic non-invasive back pain treatment that repairs the root causes of pain, numbness, in tingling down the thighs or legs. Contact one of our centers today for the best non-invasive and non-surgical back treatments in Malaysia. 

If you are looking for the best chiropractic treatment in Malaysia, please get in touch with us at 03-2093 1000. We have several centers throughout the Klang Valley. CSC treats all types of spine problems, including slip-discs without back pain without injections or surgery.