On Thursday morning, I awoke with pain in my right hip, knee, and ankle. I didn't recall any specific injury, but I had a difficult time getting around the house for the first few minutes due to the pain. I immediately thought that I was experiencing sciatica and that the pain was coming from my back. I stated some gentle low back stretches, and I was able to get through the day with minimal pain.
The next morning, I awoke with the same pain, but it seemed centered around my knee, and it hurt to bend and straighten my knee for a few minutes when I first woke up. Knee pain? Could my "sciatica" really be a knee problem? I did some light stretches for my knee, and I was able to get through the day without any problems.
So here's the big question: Was my leg pain coming from my back, or was it due to a knee problem? Does it even matter? The stretches for my back seemed to help, and the knee exercises seemed to help when I felt the pain was coming from my knee. The most important thing is that I did something about my problem. I initiated a self-care program immediately, and this seemed to help.
If you have pain in your leg, a visit to your physical therapist may be in order to help determine if the pain is coming from your back or your knee (or somewhere else). Whatever the case, you can learn some self-care exercises that you can initiate whenever you start feeling the pain again.
Quick Links:
- Read more: Common Symptoms from Your Low Back
