Sciatica
Sciatica is a condition leading to low back and buttock pain, and it can be associated with pain, numbness, or tingling radiating into the leg and even into the foot. These nerve-related symptoms can appear in many different ways such as shooting pain, sharp pain, burning, tingling, electricity or numbness. In addition, depending on how severely the nerve is impacted, sciatica could cause changes in motor function.
The sciatic nerve begins in your low back. It starts as nerve roots which come together to form the sciatic nerve. This is the longest and thickest nerve in the body. This nerve travels all the way down to your foot, branching into other nerves below the knee (tibial nerve, common peroneal nerve).
Is the sciatic nerve the only nerve that can cause leg and buttock pain or numbness?
Your therapist can help to determine if you have true sciatica and if not what structures are leading to your symptoms and therefore can help to properly treat it.
Causes
The symptoms associated with sciatica can be due to the nerve being compressed or tensioned as it moves from the low back to the foot. This compression can occur at the nerve root of the lumbar spine or as the nerve exits the sciatic notch under the piriformis muscle.
Sciatica can occur as a result of an injury or movement, or may have a slow onset without a clear cause. Some factors that may increase your risk of developing sciatic symptoms include aging where degenerative changes may occur in the spine, excessive sitting, or working a very laborious job that may include frequent bending, lifting or twisting. Additionally, obesity and diabetes may increase your risk for developing symptoms.
Your therapist will help to determine which structures could be compressing the nerve and if the nerve itself is abnormally tensioned leading to symptoms
Interventions
The sciatic nerve begins in your low back. It starts as nerve roots which come together to form the sciatic nerve. This is the longest and thickest nerve in the body. This nerve travels all the way down to your foot, branching into other nerves below the knee (tibial nerve, common peroneal nerve).
Is the sciatic nerve the only nerve that can cause leg and buttock pain or numbness?
- No, each segment in the lumbar spine corresponds to specific nerve roots and specific areas in the legs and trunk. These are called dermatomes.
- You can also have buttock pain due to irritation of muscles or tendons in this area without sciatica
Your therapist can help to determine if you have true sciatica and if not what structures are leading to your symptoms and therefore can help to properly treat it.
Causes
The symptoms associated with sciatica can be due to the nerve being compressed or tensioned as it moves from the low back to the foot. This compression can occur at the nerve root of the lumbar spine or as the nerve exits the sciatic notch under the piriformis muscle.
Sciatica can occur as a result of an injury or movement, or may have a slow onset without a clear cause. Some factors that may increase your risk of developing sciatic symptoms include aging where degenerative changes may occur in the spine, excessive sitting, or working a very laborious job that may include frequent bending, lifting or twisting. Additionally, obesity and diabetes may increase your risk for developing symptoms.
Your therapist will help to determine which structures could be compressing the nerve and if the nerve itself is abnormally tensioned leading to symptoms
Interventions
- Nerve glides to help improve the mobility of the sciatic nerve, the tibial branch, or other affected nerve structures.
- Manual interventions to improve lumbar joint mobility, muscle flexibility, and nerve mobility
- Stabilization Exercises for the spine, lumbopelvic region and the lower body
- Individualized exercises to improve core motor control, muscle recruitment, and strength
- Functional training to allow for return to lifting, bending, turning, and other activities or movement required for daily living
- Physical therapy serves as one of the first lines of defense treatment for sciatica with many patients reporting improvements in symptoms without the need for surgery or heavy use of pain medications. Choose AVORA to be the team dedicated to working with you to meet your recovery goals.