WHY DOES MY LEG PAIN HURT MORE THAN MY BACK PAIN? – SAN DIEGO, CA
"My Back Doesn't Hurt That Much. It's My Leg That's Killing Me."
If you've recently been diagnosed with:
✔ Sciatica
✔ A Herniated Disc
✔ A Bulging Disc
✔ A Disc Extrusion
✔ An L4-L5 Disc Herniation
✔ An L5-S1 Disc Herniation
✔ A Pinched Nerve
you may be wondering:
"Why Does My Leg Hurt More Than My Back?"
"Why Is My Pain Going Into My Buttock, Hip, Calf Or Foot?"
"Can A Herniated Disc Cause Leg Pain?"
"Why Is My Sciatica Worse Than My Back Pain?"
"Why Does My Foot Hurt When The Problem Is In My Back?"
If so, you're not alone.
Every week, patients from Kearny Mesa, Serra Mesa, Clairemont, Mission Valley, Tierrasanta, Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch and throughout San Diego County come to our office asking these exact questions.
Many are surprised when we tell them:
It is extremely common for leg pain to be worse than back pain.
In fact, some patients have very little back pain at all.
Instead, they experience:
✔ Burning Leg Pain
✔ Foot Numbness
✔ Tingling
✔ Calf Pain
✔ Thigh Pain
✔ Buttock Pain
✔ Weakness
✔ Pain Sitting
✔ Pain Driving
✔ Difficulty Sleeping
The reason often comes down to nerve irritation.
LOOKING FOR SCIATICA OR LEG PAIN TREATMENT IN SAN DIEGO?
Many patients simply want an honest opinion before making another major decision.
Your No-Charge Consultation with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC may include:
✔ Review Of Symptoms
✔ MRI Review (If Available)
✔ Discussion Of Previous Treatments
✔ Discussion Of Potential Treatment Options
✔ Determination Of Whether You May Be A Candidate
Please Note:
⚠️ Not Every Patient Qualifies
⚠️ Not Every Patient Can Avoid Surgery
⚠️ Not Every Patient Is A Candidate
⚠️ Dr. Boelk Will Always Be Honest About Whether He Believes He Can Help
Because Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC personally reviews imaging and determines candidacy, appointment availability is limited.
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"There isn't enough room to fully explain the relief Dr. Boelk has brought to me and my family.
I found him after suffering from severe sciatica for more than a year. The pain shot from my hip all the way down to my left foot and became almost unbearable. I could no longer enjoy the activities I loved, including hockey, golf, and surfing.
Over the years, I had seen numerous chiropractors and experienced only temporary relief. Acupuncture helped somewhat, physical therapy was difficult to tolerate, and nothing seemed to provide lasting results. I couldn't sleep well, and my quality of life was steadily declining.
Then I met Dr. Boelk.
Through a structured treatment plan, adjustments, rehabilitation exercises, and lifestyle modifications, my life completely changed.
To this day, I tell people that Dr. Boelk saved my life.
Since my own recovery, I have referred my wife, daughter, mother, father, numerous friends, and many clients to his office. Every one of them has thanked me for the recommendation. Most recently, a firefighter friend of mine who was suffering from severe sciatica began treatment and is now making tremendous progress.
If you are considering surgery, I strongly encourage you to have Dr. Boelk evaluate your condition first.
What I respect most is his honesty. If he believes you are not a candidate or that another option would be better, he will tell you.
I trust him with my life and with my back."
— Jayson Yavorsky, San Diego, CA
WHY CAN A BACK PROBLEM CAUSE LEG PAIN?
Many patients assume:
Back Problem = Back Pain
Unfortunately, that is not always how nerve pain works.
When a disc bulge, herniated disc, disc extrusion, spinal stenosis, or foraminal stenosis irritates a spinal nerve, symptoms often travel along the path of that nerve.
Instead of feeling most of the pain in the lower back, you may experience:
✔ Buttock Pain
✔ Hip Pain
✔ Thigh Pain
✔ Knee Pain
✔ Calf Pain
✔ Foot Pain
✔ Burning
✔ Tingling
✔ Numbness
✔ Weakness
This is why many patients tell us:
"My back doesn't hurt that much. It's my leg that's killing me."
And that is actually one of the most common complaints we hear from patients suffering from sciatica.
WHAT IS SCIATICA?
Sciatica is a term used to describe symptoms caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve or the nerve roots that contribute to it.
Symptoms may include:
✔ Burning Leg Pain
✔ Electrical Shock Sensations
✔ Foot Numbness
✔ Tingling
✔ Weakness
✔ Difficulty Sitting
✔ Difficulty Driving
✔ Difficulty Sleeping
✔ Pain Walking
For some patients, the symptoms travel all the way into the foot.
Others experience numbness, tingling, or weakness.
No two cases are exactly alike.
One thing many patients find surprising is that the source of the problem may be in the lower back while the majority of the symptoms are felt in the leg.
This is known as radicular pain.
In other words:
The source may be in the spine.
The symptoms may be in the leg.
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"Dr. Boelk has been a lifesaver.
I suffered from constant low back pain and sciatica for more than eight months. Pain medications didn't help, and I was headed toward multiple injections in hopes of finding relief.
After beginning treatment with Dr. Boelk, everything changed.
Today, my pain is completely gone.
As a firefighter who depends on his body every day to help others, being pain-free has made a tremendous difference in both my career and quality of life.
The results I experienced were absolutely worth it, and I highly recommend looking into what Dr. Boelk and his team can do for you."
— Joshua T., San Diego, CA
DOES LEG PAIN ALWAYS MEAN A HERNIATED DISC?
No.
While disc injuries are one common cause of leg pain, they are not the only cause.
Other conditions that may contribute to symptoms include:
✔ Spinal Stenosis
✔ Foraminal Stenosis
✔ Degenerative Disc Disease
✔ Piriformis Syndrome
✔ Hip Conditions
✔ Peripheral Nerve Entrapment
✔ Facet Joint Problems
This is why obtaining an accurate diagnosis is so important.
Different conditions often require completely different treatment approaches.
WHAT SYMPTOMS MAY REQUIRE IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION?
Certain symptoms may require urgent medical evaluation.
These may include:
⚠️ Foot Drop
⚠️ Progressive Weakness
⚠️ Loss Of Bowel Control
⚠️ Loss Of Bladder Control
⚠️ Saddle Numbness
⚠️ Progressive Neurological Deficits
These symptoms should never be ignored and require immediate medical attention.
WHY NON-SURGICAL SPINAL DECOMPRESSION?
One thing many patients are surprised to learn is that spinal discs have very little blood supply.
Unlike muscles and many other tissues, discs do not receive abundant circulation.
This is one reason disc injuries often heal much more slowly than patients expect.
Many patients experience:
Relief.
Then A Flare-Up.
Relief Again.
Then Another Setback.
For months—or even years.
This often leaves patients wondering:
"Why Isn't My Disc Healing?"
"Why Does My Sciatica Keep Coming Back?"
"Will I Eventually Need Surgery?"
These are some of the most common questions we hear every week.
One goal of Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression is to create a pressure gradient within the disc.
This may help facilitate the movement of:
✔ Water
✔ Oxygen
✔ Nutrients
into damaged disc tissue.
Another goal is reducing pressure on irritated spinal nerves.
For the right patient, this may help improve the healing environment while reducing symptoms.
Not every patient qualifies.
That is why every patient is carefully evaluated before recommendations are made.
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"I have had an outstanding experience with Dr. Boelk and his staff at The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego.
They follow a very structured treatment protocol and utilize the best spinal decompression equipment available. I've been treated elsewhere using lower-quality decompression systems and never experienced meaningful improvement.
Dr. Boelk is attentive, professional, and genuinely cares about every patient. You can see it in the way he interacts with everyone who walks through the door.
After about 12 treatments, my sciatica was gone and I was nearly back to normal. Honestly, I wasn't sure I would ever heal. What surprised me most was that after my very first treatment, I experienced significant relief and was able to sleep mostly pain-free for the first time in months.
The improvement has allowed me to get back to hiking, traveling, and enjoying life again.
This treatment was one of the best investments I've ever made.
Thank you, Dr. Boelk and your entire team."
— Michael Langsdale, San Diego, CA
WHY PATIENTS SEEK OUT DR. CASSIDY JAMES BOELK, DC
✔ Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor
✔ Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist
✔ California X-Ray Radiology Licensed Doctor
✔ Founder, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy
✔ Founding Member, American Spinal Decompression Society
✔ More Than 22 Years Clinical Experience
✔ More Than 100,000 Spinal Decompression Treatments Performed
✔ 7 DRX9000 Spinal Decompression Systems
✔ Largest Provider Of Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression In California
✔ Patients Travel From Across The United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and beyond seeking his expertise
NOT EVERY PATIENT IS A CANDIDATE
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"I found this terrific practice on social media. I followed up and did my own research so I decided to pay them a visit. The place is clean, well organized and run by a very efficient receptionist.
I met with the doctor and after a honest and forthright conversation, we both determined that surgery was my only option to correct my back issues.
I will return as a customer when the time is right."
— Jeff J., Tucson, AZ
Not every patient qualifies.
If Dr. Boelk believes surgery is necessary, he will tell you.
If he believes you are not a candidate, he will tell you.
And that's exactly how it should be.
LOOKING FOR SCIATICA OR LEG PAIN TREATMENT IN SAN DIEGO?
The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center Of San Diego is conveniently located in the heart of Kearny Mesa at:
5095 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92123
📞 619-298-0800
Serving:
✔ Kearny Mesa
✔ Serra Mesa
✔ Clairemont
✔ Mira Mesa
✔ Mission Valley
✔ Tierrasanta
✔ Scripps Ranch
✔ Poway
✔ Rancho Bernardo
If you're suffering from sciatica, burning leg pain, foot numbness, tingling, weakness, or have been diagnosed with a herniated disc, schedule a No-Charge Consultation to determine whether you may be a candidate for care.
Not every patient qualifies. If Dr. Boelk does not believe he can help, he will tell you.
Get Fast Pain Relief Now
Schedule a Complimentary, No-Charge, No-Obligation Consultation or submit a question through our website to determine whether you may be a candidate for care.