Leg Burning When I Cough

Leg burning when you cough is one of the most common symptoms a person will experience with a bulging / herniated disc in the low back. In fact, this burning sensation is also common when a person bears down to go to the bathroom, or even sneezes.

I often refer to the discs of the spine as “jelly doughnuts,” because they are firm on the outside, but have a jelly center. They’re created this way because they act as cushions between the bones of the spine, preventing the bones from touching when you move (which would be very painful).

When a disc bulges or herniates, the outside of the disc becomes weak, and the jelly starts to shift backwards, which produces a “bulge.”

The reason this bulge is so painful is because it usually puts pressure on the nerves leaving the spine – in the case of a bulging disc in the low back, these nerves travel to the legs and organs of the abdomen (such as the stomach, colon, bladder, etc.).

The reason a person with a bulging / herniated disc in the low back feels a burning pain in the legs when coughing is because the action of coughing increases the pressure inside the disc. This causes the disc to bulge more, which adds instant pressure to the nerves, thus causing the pain to get worse.

So, the question a lot of patients have for me is, “why do I feel it in my leg if the problem is in my back?” This is because, even though the cause of the problem is in the low back, you will feel the pain wherever the nerve goes to – in this case, the legs.

Leg burning when you cough is a sign that the nerve is inflamed, which can usually be improved using ice. However, don’t be deceived – the pain will quickly return if you do not take the essential steps to heal the cause of the problem – the bulging / herniated disc.

To learn more tips for alleviating leg burning when you cough, and the steps required to heal a bulging / herniated disc, click here.

Did you find this article helpful? Here are some other related articles and resources you may also find useful:

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