If ligaments do not heal within several weeks, they may remain chronically stretched, torn, or strained. Many people do not realize how severe or prolonged ligament pain can be. They assume that soft tissue will heal or that it can’t be that bad. While ligament pain may be confined to the injury site, it can also refer pain to distant body parts through a portion of the autonomic nervous system called the sympathetic nerves.

The region that a ligament refers pain to is called a sclerotome (see figures). Ligament pain can mimic nerve impingement, cause sensations of numbness, and be the source of arthritis pain. It can be chronic, persistent, achy, burning, and weather sensitive.

With persistent lower back ache shooting pains down the legs can occur. Muscles can get so tight that if affects your ability to stand straight. When back pain gets this severe frequently the problem is that the muscles are in spasm due to a nerve root irritation near the spine.

The solution depends on why the nerve got irritated in the first place. If it occurred secondary to a weak ligament (just like a sprained ankle) then addressing the underlying source is often necessary to stop it from reoccurring. Some people think that if there is nerve root irritation (sciatica) then the resulting back pain must be severe but depending upon the degree of involvement this is not necessarily true. If the nerve is involved however the key for initial treatment is to relieve the nerve irritation. As a result, it is worth checking for nerve irritation even mild episodes of persistent low back pain.