Is My Pain Really Sciatica?

Sciatica pain is literally a pain in the...behind!

You may be suffering with pain that you believe is sciatica but how do you know? And, if it is sciatica, what can you do about it?

You are in the right place!

Today we will dive into what true sciatica pain is, what causes sciatica in the first place, and what you can do about your sciatica pain.

What Is Sciatica?

Sciatica is aggravation of the sciatic nerve through either direct compression or local irritation. You see, the sciatic nerve is made up of four nerve roots from your low back and you sacrum. They exit the spinal cord at their appropriate level and then come together to form the sciatic nerve.

The sciatic nerve then travels down through the deep hip muscles, through the hamstrings, and to the outside of your knee. At this point, the sciatic nerve splits and forms two branches. One that goes down the outside of your calf while the other one travels down the back of your calf.

Since it’s such a long nerve, there are multiple points it can get compressed which leads to irritation and pain.

The best known point is in the low back where you can have a herniated or ruptured disc. A herniated disc is one that is bulging out. This bulge can put increased pressure on the sciatic nerve and irritate it leading to your pain. Or the disc may be ruptured which means the disc material that is supposed to be inside is actually outside the disc. The discal material that is in the wrong spot can cause an irritation of the sciatic nerve.

The next most popular spot for the sciatic nerve to get compressed is as it travels through the deep hip muscles, particularly the piriformis. This is called piriformis syndrome. The sciatic nerve travels either through or underneath the piriformis and can get compressed if the piriformis is tight.

If you are suffering with piriformis syndrome you may think it’s as easy as loosening up the piriformis. But, the truth is, it’s important to deal with WHY the piriformis got tight in the first place. This is commonly due to poor alignment through your pelvis that needs to be addressed for this problem to be eliminated for good.

The last spot where the sciatic nerve can get tethered down, compressed, and irritated is on the outside of the knee. This is near the head of the fibula which is the smaller bone running the length of the shin. This location has many muscles attaching and is the end of the IT band...so there’s a ton of fascia here, too.

Although the fibular head location is not commonly known as a site of compression for sciatica, it often comes into play when there is irritation of the nerve further up the chain. You see, it’s all connected!

What Are the Signs of Sciatica?

Every body is different and expressions of sciatica can be different. This makes it difficult for people who are searching for help on-line or talking with their friends and family about their pain. Because what works for one person who has sciatica may actually be harmful for the next person.

In fact, some people who are suffering with sciatica pain may have horrendous back pain while others have no back pain at all. You may be suffering with pain down the front of your leg and wondering if it’s sciatica. So, here we are covering ALL of the common signs of sciatica so you can test yourself and see if this sounds like you.

Can Sciatica Pain Go Away?

Many people want to know if sciatica pain can actually be eliminated. The answer is – YES! AND, you have to deal with what caused the problem in the first place. You need to work with a Specialist who understands sciatica and will honestly assess your body to see what caused this problem in the first place.

You see, many people believe that their sciatic pain started all of a sudden, out of nowhere, and while performing an every day motion. The truth is that your body has been performing abnormal movement patterns for some time and the sciatic nerve finally got irritated enough to start talking. This is why it is so important to deal with the root cause of your pain so this sciatic pain does not come back again!

Most sciatic pain can heal over time with the proper treatment. However, if you are suffering from sudden weakness where you are not able to walk, bowel or bladder incontinence, or urinary retention then it is time to head straight to the doctor. These are the red flags of sciatica pain and need to be addressed immediately.

What Can I Do About Sciatic Pain?

If you have made it this far then you are sure that you have sciatic pain. And, I want to tell you what I would say if you walked into my clinic with a recent onset of sciatica.

Ice – Ice is a powerful pain inhibitor and it calms the system down. Ice for 3-5 minutes every hour at the location of pain. If your pain is traveling down the sciatic nerve then “follow it” with the ice pack.

Sciatic pain does go away (I promise!) but it’s important to make sure you heal correctly so this problem doesn’t come back in the future.

Looking for Answers to Sciatica Frequently Asked Questions?

https://physicaltherapyforeverybody.com/sciatica-faqs/

What’s the Difference Between Piriformis Syndrome and Sciatica?

https://physicaltherapyforeverybody.com/piriformis-syndrome-versus-sciatica/