Question
hello doctor i have been overweight for about 12 years i am 30 now and making great strides twoards losing weight and that has been amazing i used to have knee pain which disapeared after the first 15 i have also always had lower back pain from when i was in high school i can remember struggling to work thru the pain on dance team. I have also been rear ended numerous times in car accidents and always thought this was the cause of my lower back pain but lately i have been having severe pain and it has been  disrupting my life the pain is in my lower back mainly on my left side it travels down the back of my leg and now more frequently i have severe ankle pain and my first two toes on my foot go numb about twice a week it has also now extended to my shoulder and i always feel like my back is strained the same way it would feel if i had just done some strenuous exercise and i was feeling the burn. The worry has set in i cant sleep in bed very long or sit i do feel okay when i am up working which i do a lot of about 50 or more hours a week I guess i should mention i am a Hairstylist whose opened her own salon and also works at another salon full time to support my business in its beginning stages i have been reading about cauda equina syndrome and i am just really worried what should i do?

Answer
NAjah;

Let me put your mind to rest; it's not cauda equina.  It could very well be a disc is involved, there are some simple tests to determine whether or not and any chiropractor can do these tests. The pain distribution you have is a classic one.

The pain in your shoulders sounds much different, probably a result of all your work!  

Read all about the disc on my website, www.dynamicclinic.com, in the articles section, lumbar disc.  It will both put your mind to rest, and let you understand your problem a little better and equip you to deal with this more easily.

Hope this answer helps you.

Dr. Peter Carr
Seattle, Washington