The nerve supply to the legs and feet originate from the spinal nerves of the lower back, so tension or body stress in the lower back area can manifest in numbing or pain in the back, hip, knee, leg or foot.
THE HIP JOINT
The ball-shaped structure at the upper end of the thigh bone fits into a deep, secure socket in the pelvis. However, this joint may be stressed by movements such as mounting a bicycle, or a horse, or from a fall, or from sitting cross-legged when unaccustomed to this position. As tension becomes locked into the hip joint there may be restricted mobility, a sharp jabbing pain deep in the joint or a milder ache when walking or dancing.
THE KNEE JOINT
This joint undergoes a great deal of daily strain, as not only does it bear the weight of the body, it is designed for the flexibility of a hinge joint. The cartilage pad in the knee joint and the ligaments supporting the joint may be stressed by twisting the knee, by jarring it in a fall or in a hard kick. When there is body stress in the knee joint, besides being painful, the knee joint may be weakened to the point of collapsing when pressure is exerted on the leg, as in going up or down stairs.
THE ANKLE AND FOOT
Body stress may become locked into the joints if a person jars or twists the ankle, as in stepping off a pavement incorrectly, or as a result of a kicking action. Besides pain, there may be a sensation of the ankle collapsing when placing the weight of the body on that leg. The joints of the toes may also become stressed and this may in time contribute to the development of a bunion – a distortion in the area of the big toe.
