Why Does Pain Radiate to Other Parts of the Body?

Radiating pain is discomfort that travels beyond where it starts, pain in the lower back that runs down into the leg, or neck pain that shows up as a headache or travels into the arm.

It is different from ordinary muscle soreness, which often stays more localized. Radiating pain can sometimes suggest that a nerve is irritated or involved, although referred pain from joints, muscles, and other tissues can also create symptoms away from the original source.

One of the first questions Dr. Curt White asks when a patient describes this kind of pain is simple:

Where does it start, and where does it travel?

That distinction matters because where you feel pain and where the underlying problem actually is are not always the same place.

Why Pain Radiates in the First Place

The spine houses and protects the spinal cord, while nerves branch out from the spine and travel throughout the body.

Nerves from the lower back travel into the hips and legs, while nerves from the neck travel into the shoulders, arms, and hands.

When a nerve becomes irritated or compressed near its root in the spine, pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness can sometimes show up somewhere along that nerve’s path rather than directly at the spine itself.

Several things can contribute to this type of irritation.

A herniated or bulging disc may irritate or place pressure on a nearby nerve root. Degenerative changes or inflammation around the joints of the spine can also irritate nearby nerves. In some cases, tight muscles or surrounding soft tissues may contribute to symptoms that feel similar to nerve irritation.

Radiating pain can also feel very different from person to person. Patients may describe:

• A deep ache
• Burning pain
• Sharp or shooting pain
• Tingling
• Pins and needles
• An electric sensation
• Numbness
• Weakness

The location and pattern of those symptoms can provide useful clues about what may be causing them.

Lower Back Pain That Travels Into the Leg

This is one of the most common patterns we see at White Chiropractic.

Pain may begin in the lower back and travel into the:

• Buttock
• Hip
• Thigh
• Calf
• Foot

Patients often call this sciatica, and sometimes that is exactly what is happening.

However, not every pain that travels away from the lower back is technically sciatica.

True sciatica generally involves irritation of a nerve originating in the lower spine. Other problems involving the joints, muscles, pelvis, or hip can sometimes produce pain in similar areas.

Some patients have significant lower back pain along with their leg symptoms. Others come in primarily concerned about their hip or leg and are surprised when Dr. White begins examining the lower back.

Sitting can make certain types of lower back and leg pain worse, especially when a disc or nerve is involved. Other patients notice symptoms with bending, driving, standing, walking, coughing, or changing positions.

The activities that increase or decrease the pain are another part of the puzzle.

Sometimes Hip Pain Is Actually Coming From the Lower Back

We have seen this firsthand in our office.

One patient came in believing she had a hip problem because the pain felt deep inside her hip.

After Dr. White evaluated her, the symptoms appeared to be related more to her lower back than to the hip itself. She also had a mild lumbar scoliosis that appeared to be contributing to mechanical stress in the lower spine.

This is a good example of why the location of the pain does not always identify the source of the problem.

A patient may point to the hip, buttock, thigh, or leg even when the lower back is contributing to the symptoms.

The opposite can happen as well, which is why an examination is important before assuming where the pain is coming from.

Neck Pain That Travels Into the Arm

A similar pattern can happen higher in the spine.

When a nerve in the neck becomes irritated, symptoms may travel into the:

• Shoulder
• Upper arm
• Forearm
• Hand
• Fingers

Patients may experience pain along with tingling, numbness, burning, or weakness.

As with the lower back, the exact location and pattern of the symptoms can sometimes provide clues about which nerve may be involved.

However, shoulder problems, muscle tension, and other conditions can also cause arm pain, so not every pain traveling into the arm originates in the neck.

That is why we look at the entire pattern rather than simply treating the location where the patient feels pain.

Neck Pain That Shows Up as a Headache

Radiating or referred pain does not always travel toward an arm or leg.

Problems involving the upper neck can sometimes refer pain upward into the head.

These headaches may begin around the base of the skull and travel toward the temple, forehead, or behind the eye.

Patients dealing with this pattern are sometimes surprised to learn that their headache may be related to their neck because the head is where they feel the discomfort.

This type of headache is often referred to as a cervicogenic headache.

Not every headache comes from the neck, however. Headaches have many possible causes, and new, severe, unusual, or rapidly changing headaches should always be evaluated appropriately.

How Chiropractic Care Addresses Radiating Pain

When someone comes to White Chiropractic with radiating pain, Dr. White first tries to determine where the symptoms appear to be coming from and whether chiropractic care is appropriate.

The evaluation may look at:

• Where the pain begins
• Where the pain travels
• What movements make symptoms better or worse
• Spinal and joint movement
• Muscle tension and tenderness
• Range of motion
• Neurological findings when appropriate
• Orthopedic examination findings

The goal is not simply to treat the location where the patient feels pain.

It is to determine what may be contributing to it.

When chiropractic care is appropriate, treatment may focus on improving joint movement, reducing mechanical irritation, decreasing muscle tension, and helping the patient move more comfortably.

At White Chiropractic, treatment for radiating back or neck pain may include:

• Chiropractic adjustments
• Electrical muscle stimulation
• Traction
• Spinal decompression in certain cases
• Manual or soft tissue therapy when appropriate

The exact combination depends on what Dr. White finds during the examination and how the patient responds to care.

How Long Does Radiating Pain Take to Improve?

Recovery timelines vary considerably from patient to patient.

Some people notice improvement relatively quickly, particularly when the irritation is recent and uncomplicated.

Others may take longer, especially when symptoms have been present for months, there are underlying degenerative changes, or nerve irritation has become more significant.

That is why we avoid prom