Sciatic Nerve Pain and Symptoms

Sciatica is a serious condition that may cause severe pain and disability. It affects people of all ages, but the older we get, the more likely we are to develop this painful condition.

The sciatic nerve is a bundle of smaller nerves that run from the lower back into the feet. This means it can be painful when there’s an injury or compression anywhere along the path of the sciatic nerve. 

Pain experienced due to sciatica can be described as sharp, shooting, or jolts of pain. It may come and go but is usually more severe in your leg compared with the lower back, especially when sitting for long periods of time. 

What is the best way to tell if you have sciatica?

The typical sign of sciatica is developing pain that radiates from your lower back into the buttocks, legs or feet. Although sciatica is often one-sided, it can occur on both sides. This condition can be milder and feel more like an ache at first but may progress to sharp shooting pains, making it difficult for people with this issue especially those who stand all day long without support.

The symptoms include:

• An unpleasant feeling is felt in the lower back, buttock, and down your leg.
• Weakness or numbness in your lower back, buttocks, legs, or feet.
• Pain that worsens with movement; loss of mobility.
• Feeling of “pins and needles” in your legs, toes or feet.
• Loss of control over bowels and bladders (due to the cauda equina).  This is when advanced disc problems occur.

Final Thoughts

Each patient with sciatic pain is quite different. The root cause can be different and the intensity and location to their leg or lower back may vary greatly between patients.

Sciatic nerve pain can usually be resolved through non-surgical treatments such as chiropractic care.  Chiropractic treatment for sciatica involves gentle manipulation of the affected joints to improve mobility, reduce inflammation, and decrease pain.

If you think you may have sciatica, contact the team at N8 Family Chiropractic to evaluate and determine the best course of treatment for you. 

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References:

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12792-sciatica

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sciatica/symptoms-causes/syc-20377435

https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/what-is-sciatica

https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/sciatica/what-you-need-know-about-sciatica