Question
Hi -
Last night I was awakened by terrible leg pain that seemed to run from the side of my hip all the way down my left leg.  It was quite painful and didn't let up for hours.  It didn't feel muscular but I tried applying heat anyway...didn't work.  Is it possible that this was the result of a pinched nerve in my back?  I've had muscle spasms before and this was a similar feeling, although it was more of a constant pain.  It's gone now, but I'd still like to know if it was anything I should worry about.
Thanks,
Briana

Answer
Briana,

Worry, no.  Act, yes.

You may have had a spastic tensor fascia lata, a muscle that connects at the hip to tissue that runs down the side of the leg, to the knee.

Or it may have been a pinched nerve in your low back.

Either way, some retraining of your muscular control is called for to forestall future problems.

Please see the articles on unequal leg length and on the psoas muscle at somatics.com/page4.htm.

with regard,
Lawrence Gold