What are Sciatica Symptoms?

What is Sciatica?

Are you seeking Sciatica Treatment in Kitchener? This is possible with Chiropractic Care. Let me help you understand what Sciatica really is. Sciatica is defined as irritation to the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body and runs down the back of the thigh to the knee. At the knee, it divides into 2 nerves. One (fibular) travels down the front of the leg to the top foot and one (tibial) down the back of the leg to the bottom of the foot.

Signs of Sciatica

Sciatic nerve irritation usually presents as a pathway of pain that starts in your low back and travels to your buttocks followed by the back of your thigh and calf. However, you can feel the discomfort anywhere along the pathway of the nerve. Usually, only one side is affected.

Symptoms of Sciatica

The symptoms of sciatica can vary from a sharp pain to a mild ache or burning sensation. Some patients also describe an electric shock down the back of the leg. Other patients with irritation to the sciatic nerve experience tingling, numbness and weakness in the muscles of the leg and foot on the affected side.

What Causes Sciatica?

The most common cause of sciatica is pressure on the sciatic nerve by a herniated disk in your low back or by an overgrowth of bone on your spine.

What Mimics Sciatica? Piriformis Syndrome and Sciatica

A commonly misdiagnosed cause of irritation to the sciatic nerve is piriformis syndrome. The piriformis is a small muscle in your buttock. In the majority of patients (89%) the sciatic nerve travels under the piriformis muscle. However, there are some variants of the sciatic nerve (fibular nerve) that travel through (8.8%) and above (2.9%) the piriformis (Lewis, S., et al 2016). It is the anatomical variant of the sciatic nerve that travels through the muscle that causes piriformis syndrome. The only way to know if a patient’s sciatic nerve irriation is caused by a piriformis syndrome is with advanced imaging (MRI or CT).

If you are seeking Chiropractic Care or specifically Sciatica Treatment in Kitchener or want to have more information on this and piriformis syndrome, contact us at Sports Rehab and Wellness.