Causes and manifestations of sciatica

Sciatica is the name given to any sort of pain caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve stems from the back of your pelvis, and runs through your buttocks, down the legs, and ends at your feet. It is the longest and widest nerve in the human body. It supplies sensation to most of the muscles and ligaments in the lower body – this ranges from the hamstring all the way to the sole of the foot.

When the sciatic nerve is compressed or irritated it can cause pain, numbness, or a tingling sensation that radiates from your lower back and travels down one of your legs to your foot and toes. Some sufferers also report a weakness in the calf muscles or the muscles that move the foot and ankle. Sciatica can range from being extremely painful to a mild annoyance, usually exaggerated by sneezing, coughing – or any involuntary or sudden movements. The pain of sciatica is localised in the lower body region, stemming from the top of your buttock downward, people also report suffering from back pain. Although this is most likely related to the problem, it will not be the sciatic nerve causing the pain.

Most cases of sciatica stem from a slipped disc. Injury or weakness can cause the inner portion of the disk to protrude through the outer ring. This is known as a slipped, herniated, or prolapsed disc. If the slipped disc compresses the sciatic nerve then we have sciatica. Most people with sciatica experience unrelated back pain. But a slipped disc is an injury in its own right; we should see sciatica as a result of this injury. We can summarise this as: Sciatica often occurs from a slipped disc; however, not all cases of sciatica are from slipped discs; and you can get sciatica without having a slipped disc. There are a myriad of ways a disc can slip. 

You can help prevent sciatica by adopting better posture and lifting techniques at work, stretching before and after exercises, and exercising regularly.

Although most cases of sciatica pass within 6 weeks, sciatica can become extremely dangerous. If you are experiencing a tingling or numbness between your legs and around your buttocks, and have recently lost bowel/bladder control, and have sciatica in both your legs – you must contact a physician immediately. Our physicians can confirm a diagnosis of sciatica based on your symptoms and recommend appropriate treatment.

If you are suffering from any of the symptoms listed, please contact us as it is important you speak to your physician as soon as possible. Contact our switchboard on: (212) 241-6321