What is sciatica? This is a common condition that comes into my office. It also has a lot of misunderstanding from what people read on the internet or hear. So first off I want to start with what sciatica isn’t. Sciatica is not pain that goes out into the fingers, nor is it pain that goes into the head. Just because pain radiates, doesn’t mean that it is sciatica. Why they call it “sciatica” is because the sciatic nerve, which comes from the low back, is irritated and radiates symptoms down the leg where the sciatic nerve innervates. The sciatic nerve originates from the last couple nerve roots from the lumbar spine and then nerve roots coming from the sacrum all combine and go out into the glutes, behind the leg in the hamstring, splints in the back of the knee, and goes down to the foot. A true sciatica type pain would be anything like pain, burning, tingling, numbness, weakness, etc. that follows the area the sciatic nerve innervates, especially when it goes past the knee and into the lower leg and foot. Sometimes that sciatica pain can be from a disc herniation in the low back and radiate down the leg, sometimes muscle tightness in the hip can cause this, and even regular tension can cause that if there is some compromised space. If I bend forward into flexion, I’m stretching the nerve roots, I’m stretching the muscles that are adjacent to the sciatic nerve and all of that could irritate the nerve even more. The best first option is going to a professional and making sure there are no underlying other conditions that you should be concerned about, such as tumor or cancer. The other important factor is learning what is going on, what activities are creating a bigger problem, and then addressing those and moving towards a healthier you. Once you find the irritating factor, stay away from it. This is an easy start. But again, go to a professional first and figure some of these details out first will definitely help you get healing quicker. The sciatic nerve goes down the leg and when irritated can cause what many will call sciatica. This could be originating from your back without any back pain. Just be aware of you and your symptoms in order to get moving better today.
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