02/07/2024
SHINING THE LIGHT ON REFERRED PAIN
We often have people come into The Joint Physio complaining of pain or altered sensation in their lower legs or feet who cannot quite comprehend when we explain the problem is actually in their lower back. Imagine the muscles of your lower leg are lightbulbs and the nerves that supply them are the electrical wiring. Now, think of your bedroom light not coming on when you click the switch. Your first instinct is to change the lightglobe or in the case of your lower leg pain, try treat where the symptoms are (apply heat/ice/massage/ rest, etc). But if the problem is not the globe itself, but instead a rat has nibbled on the wires on the ceiling, it's still going to appear as if the lightglobe is the problem, just like it can feel like the problem is where your symptoms are in your feet, and not at the source where the nerves may be compressed up in the spine.