Leg and arm pain can often be the consequence of spinal problems – pain can either be referred from a spinal joint or a muscle. The other cause of limb pain can be due to the body adapting to postural changes, for instance low back problems can cause muscular imbalances in the legs and this can cause either muscle of joint pain in the knee or foot. The same scenario exists for shoulder, elbow and wrist pain including such things as carpal tunnel and tennis elbow – often they relate to imbalances resulting from other mechanical issues.

The normal approach is to assess where the problem stems from and start treating the cause of the problem rather that the source of the pain – they can often be different. Treatment will then be instituted in such a way as to address both the presenting pain but also to rule out and avoid recurrences.