Problem
Jim is a 24-year storeman and packer with no previous history of low back pain. He bends forward to pick up a light box off a shelf and feels a sharp pain in the lower lumbar spine. Within a short time, he has a constant dull ache in his low back and feels a lot of muscle tightness and spasm. He leaves work early and the following morning he experiences not only the same low back pain but also a sharp burning pain down the back of the thigh and leg to the ankle. He makes an appointment to see a health professional, who conducts a straight leg-raising test (SLRT), when the affected leg reaches an angle of 35° degrees this, worsens the pain down the leg.
Task
i. What pain classification would be used to describe the back pain?
ii. What is the probable cause of the sharp burning pain down the back of the thigh?
iii. What pain classification would be used to describe the pain down the back of the thigh?