L5 S1 Protruding Disc, with DDD in that disc, having skin pain in thighs and lower back?

I'm a 31 active male with back problems. I have had some pain on my skin on both my legs and lower back for about 3 days. It feels like burning sensatation to pins and needle feeling on my skin. I've been taking Ibouprofen 4 @ 200mg every 4 to 6 hrs to try to control the skin pain. I've have never experienced this type of pain before. I have had sciatca from time to time and this feels nothing like that. The pain that I am having is skin pain? Anyone else with these symptoms or ever had this? My lower back is very tight feeling and muscles are inflammed. I have a tens unit, but not helping me out with this one.

L5 S1 Protruding Disc, with DDD in that disc, having skin pain in thighs and lower back?
Is the skin pain on the anterior, posterior, or lateral side of your legs? The nerves that innervate those areas are the anterior, posterior, and lateral femoral cutaneous nerves (feel free to look those up). sciatica would cause sensory loss in the foot and side of calf and pain down the back of the thigh to the foot, as you probably already know. If you have no loss of muscle, it is probably a cutaneous (innervates the skin) nerve. Lateral FCN comes from the spinal nerves L2-L3, Posterior from S1-S3, and Anterior from the femoral nerve L2-L4. Your back may hurt because the pain is causing you to tense up, but if it is a herniated disc in the L2-S3 range, it probably wouldnt be screwing with your back muscles. Anyway, its been a few months since we dissected the back in gross anatomy, so I may be missing something...good luck...and no offense to anyone, but I would go see a REAL doctor, first.
Reply:Yes, nerve pain can vary from burn, to sharp, to dull ache.


You REALLY need to go see a chiropractor. I see this everyday in my office and have a huge success rate. Medications will only cover the symptoms, which allows the cause to continue and worsen.


You have had a back problem for some time and have always treated the symptom(pain) instead of the cause(misaligned vertebrae).
Reply:Until the inflammation is gone the pain main continue, sounds like a nerve is compressed from the swelling. Have this every time my back problems are really bad and it is worse that the back pain . you can hardly touch the skin and to massage makes it worse. Hot baths with mild stretching then ice may help or try icy hot patches continue with the ibuprofen and go to the doctor have another MRI done to rule out further injury or other DDD.
Reply:you need pain pills from the doctor.
Reply:Have an MRI to see if you have nerve root displacement or possibly the protuding disc has not herniated. I finally had to have a discectomy for my L5-S1 herniation and that alleviated all nerve pain. I tried every medication out there with no help with the nerve pain, which was more anoying and painful than the back pain.Good luck!