Telltale Symptoms of Sciatica

It can be difficult to be sure of any diagnosis without medical advice and professional screening. However, sciatica does come with a few telltale symptoms that can help you identify this common, painful condition. 

If you’re experiencing an unexpected, sharp pain in your hip and buttocks and down the back of your leg, there’s a good chance it’s sciatica.

Here at Advantage Spinal Dynamics & Innovative Medicine in Meridian, Idaho, we can diagnose and create a treatment plan for your sciatica to help you find relief from your pain. 

Sciatica 101

Your sciatic nerve is the biggest nerve in your body, branching through your lower back, hips, and buttocks and down your legs. It’s responsible for connecting the spinal cord with the muscles and skin in your thighs, legs, and feet. 

Any type of nerve pain originating from the sciatic nerve is called sciatica, regardless of the cause. Sciatica can be caused by a number of conditions, including: 

• Herniated discs
• Pregnancy 
• Spinal stenosis 
• Vertebral defects (spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis)
• Bone spurs

Certain risk factors can also increase your chances of experiencing sciatica. These include age, obesity, diabetes, heavy lifting, and prolonged sitting. 

Even wearing high heels and sleeping on a poor quality mattress can put you at risk of sciatica. Many cabdrivers, warehouse workers, and people with desk jobs experience higher rates of sciatica due to their occupation.

How to tell if you have sciatica 

The most obvious symptom of sciatica is pain. However, the nature of this pain varies from person to person, depending on what’s causing it and the severity of the issue. 

Some people report sharp, shooting pain somewhere along the nerve, while others find themselves unable to move due to the severe pain. The pain might even feel like electric shocks traveling up and down the length of the sciatic nerve. 

You might also experience: 

• Radiating pain in your butt and hips 
• Problems with muscle control in your legs
• Numbness, tingling, and weakness in one or both legs
• Pain that worsens when sitting down or standing up 

Many people with sciatica only experience pain on one side, but this condition can occur in both legs.

If you have sciatica symptoms and begin to experience loss of bladder or bowel control, visit a doctor immediately. Both are symptoms of cauda equina, a related condition that occurs when all of the nerves at the base of the spine are compressed. 

The best treatments for sciatica 

We believe that most sciatica pain can be relieved by addressing the root cause of the pain: pressure on the nerves.

Careful spinal manipulation by one of our trained chiropractors, or spinal decompression, can typically offer significant relief. We also provide other options for treating your sciatic nerve pain, including massage therapy and acupuncture.

Think you have sciatica? Learn more by talking to the experts here at Advantage Spinal Dynamics & Innovative Medicine. You can schedule a consultation by calling us at 208-225-4358, or request your appointment online.