Question
I was going to an interview in a nursing home. As I was walking down the hall a little lady began
to fall. I turned to begin the proper procedure to bring her safely to the floor. The fall scared
her and she was looking to me to stop it. And I hurt my lower back. The pain begins a little lower
than the middle of my back and radiates down my right leg into my foot. I can barely walk, sit, or
lay down. It has been 4 days. I went to my doctor and he gave me vicodin. Saying if it isn't better
he will order an MRI. The medicine helps but when the drugs wear off the burning, stabbing pain is
back. Before it was constant pain. With the medication I can walk better, but still with some pain.
What have I done to myself? Could this be serious?  

Answer
Hi Mary,

Have you had any xrays?  Did the doctor examine you and arrive at a presumed diagnosis?  The burning and stabbing pain can be from sprained joints or torn muscle tissues along your spine.  I don't know your age or health history, but if you are osteopenic then there is the possibility you could have suffered a compression fracture.  The pain down the leg to the foot is typical of sciatica.  Sciatica is when the nerve(s) that exits the lumbar spine get irritated, either by inflammatory chemicals that spew from injured discs or lower back joints, or from a disc that is protruding and touching the nerve.  It occurs in the lumbar spine, but the nerve goes down the leg to the foot, so that's where you feel the symptoms.  There are other possibilities but this would seem the most likely.  True, if not better in a week or so with med's, and if your symptoms are quite bad, then MRI is a good idea.  For some, simply getting the right treatment and waiting it out is all that's needed.  If you have any loss of reflexes or have muscle weakness to your ankle/foot/big-toe (your doctor should have checked these), then that is a sign of possible nerve compression in your lower back.  If you don't have any of these on physical examination, then odds are it's nothing serious, just bad pain.  You should also get a physical exam with a good chiropractor to see what your neurologic status is, e.g. do you have any loss of reflexes, etc., and to see if you would benefit with treatment.  

'Hope this was helpful.

Dr. G