Sciatica is a term that is used frequently when people are experiencing back pain and leg pain.
So what exactly is Sciatica?
It is when the sciatic nerve is compressed or irritated around the mid buttock region. This can happen due to many reasons such as:
- Excessive sitting
- Getting into awkward positions with the lower body that causes a stretch on the sciatic nerve
- Previous history of lower back injury or herniated/bulging lumbar intervertebral discs
- Increase in weight
- Pregnancy
So what is the sciatic nerve?
It is made up of the nerves from the L4 to S2 nerve roots, they come out to the side of the spine and joint to form the sciatic nerve in the buttocks. This then tracks down and branches out to become the tibial and common fibular nerves. The sciatic nerve is therefore only between the middle of the buttocks till behind the knee.
Some symptoms of Sciatica:
- Pain down the back of the leg, starting in the buttocks. It can track down to the foot depending on the severity of your condition
- Pins and needles or numbness down the back of the leg, sometimes reaching the foot
- Pain worsening with coughing, twisting, bending over and extended periods sitting then standing up
- Loss of strength in the leg
Don’t suffer in silence! Physiotherapy can definitely help with symptoms and discomfort but also work on decreasing the risk of it re-occurring, keep moving!
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Reference: Davis D, Maini K, Vasudevan A. Sciatica. [Updated 2021 Jun 21]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507908/