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Hip, Knee, or L3: Leg Pain from the Upper Lumbar Spine in Runners
Joe Uhan explains that stubborn hip, anterior thigh, and knee pain in runners can be referred from the upper lumbar spine at L1 to L3 rather than from the joint itself. He lists diagnostic clues, including sudden onset without a mechanism, pain poorly correlated with activity, and symptoms that change with spinal position, and notes that leg imaging and standard orthopedic treatment often miss the cause.
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