Hernia and back pain
August 27, 2016 | 30,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Ive Dr. Schaaf
Hello, my mother has a hernia, also a navel hernia, and now for about a week she has been experiencing back pain in the lumbar area. Previously (about two months ago) she had pain that radiated down her thigh. The orthopedist only administers injections and said that it cannot be caused by the hernia. These injections do not help. She does not have a surgery date yet, as the surgeon has not given her one. She only got an appointment for a gastroscopy for next week a month ago. However, the pain is not getting better with the injections. What should we do? Thank you.
Good morning,
It is to be assumed that the pain in the back and thigh are related, as the sciatic nerve supplies the leg, leading to pain in the leg when the nerve is irritated at the level of the spine.
The treatment of such pain rests on three pillars:
- Pain therapy in the form of injections when it is very acute, followed by tablets to ensure long-term pain relief.
- Massage for the tense muscles, as pain causes tension and tension causes pain, this vicious circle must be broken.
- Physiotherapy - very important - exercises must be learned and regularly performed to counteract misalignment in the spinal area. This is the only promising long-term solution.
The hernia only causes pain where it is located, in the groin and perhaps also in the abdomen above the inguinal ligament, but not in the thigh. At most, there may be pain below the inguinal ligament at the front of the thigh, but only in the upper part of the thigh, which is rather rare. The umbilical hernia is the same where it is located.
So what needs to be done?
Long-term pain therapy and not just occasional injections. This can be done, for example, with Ibuprofen 1200 mg per day. Physiotherapy and massage should be planned.
Any questions?
Get well soon,
Dr. Schaaf
