The symptoms of a herniated disc in the lower back are radiating sciatic pain, which can be sharp, shooting or burning pain, which can travel your buttocks to down your leg, as well as cause numbness, tingling, "pins and needles" feeling, muscle weakness in your leg or foot and even localized back pain.
The symptoms of a herniated disc in your lower back are often on one side and can get worse with movement, coughing or even sneezing.
Sciatica, lower back pain, numbness or tingling, weakness, position dependent pain, muscle spasms and reduced reflexes are also key symptoms of a herniated disc in the lower back.
Sciatica causes sharp, burning or shooting pain that radiates from your buttocks, down the back of one of your legs and often reaches the calf or the foot.
Localized pain in your lower spine, which can feel like a dull ache or severe and sudden discomfort and muscle weakness in your legs or feet, which can cause difficulty walking or lifting and pain that worsens when sitting, coughing, sneezing or standing for long periods and back muscle spasms due to the instability in your spine as well as diminished reflexes in your knee or ankle are common in a herniated disc in your lower back.
Limited range of motion in the lower back can also be caused by degenerative spinal conditions, ligament sprains and even muscle strains, which cause pain, stiffness and restricted movement.
Common factors for these conditions and limited range of motion in the lower back are aging, degenerative disc disease, poor posture, injury and nerve compression such as sciatica.
Prolonged sitting or slouching weakens your core muscles and can lead to chronic stiffness.
Pinched nerves, often caused by herniated discs or stenosis, can result in pain, numbness and limited mobility.
Facet joint dysfunction can also lead to limited range of motion when the joints between your vertebrae become inflamed, enlarged, "hypertrophy", or even arthritic, restricting movement.
Natural aging causes your intervertebral discs to lose water and height, which also reduces flexibility and causes vertebrae to rub together.
And muscle strain or ligament sprain that is often caused by overexertion, sudden movements or poor lifting techniques, can result in acute pain as well as stiffness.
And structural issues like conditions such as scoliosis, or curvature of the spine, or even vertebral slippage also known as spondylolisthesis can also restrict bending and twisting.
And another condition like osteophyte formation, also known as bone spurs, often caused by osteoarthritis can also form on your spine and limit flexibility.
The main factors that can contribute to the stiffness and the limited range of motion in the lower back are the body restricting movement in response to pain to avoid further injury.
Muscles can also become chronically tight, and cause decreased flexibility.
And adhesions or scar tissue can also create mechanical blockages in your spinal joints.
Lower back pain is also very common and often results from a strain or injury to muscles or tendons in your back, which is commonly caused by arthritis or other structural problems.