Everything You Need to Know About Sciatica Pain

If you’ve ever experienced a pinching pain in your body, you know how debilitating it can be. From twisting a strange way to stopping dead in your tracks as a result of a shooting pain occurring somewhere in your body, this type of pain is terrible to deal with, and may take months to heal on its own.

Sciatica pain is similar to this, but affects the lower half of your body, leaving you with additional symptoms and pain & discomfort. We’ll go over what sciatica is, sciatica symptoms , pain associated with this injury, and sciatica treatment options.

What is sciatica?

The sciatic nerve is connected from your lower back down to your hips, buttocks, and down your lower legs as well. Sciatica itself describes the pain that occurs when the sciatic nerve is pinched, causing a radiating pain down the lower back that can even cause numbness and tingling in the feet.

The difference between sciatica pain and general back pain is that the pain radiates down, whereas back pain is often localized to that specific area and the back muscle, rather than the nerves.

What are the symptoms of sciatica?

Sciatica symptoms include:

Pain in the lower back, buttock(s), and down the leg(s)
Often a jolting, pinching, or sharp & numbing pain
Pain that increases as you move (or is exacerbated by coughing, sneezing, etc.)
Numbness or weakness in the hips, lower back, leg(s), or feet
A loss of control with your bladder and/or bowels
Tingling feeling in your feet (including toes) or legs

What triggers sciatica?

Sciatica pain can come about either suddenly or gradually, depending on the cause of it. In many cases, a sciatica nerve becomes pinched as a result of a herniated disc in the spine (or even the overgrowth of bone, referred to as ‘bone spurs’).

There is a disc that sits between your spine’s vertebrae to prevent your bones from grinding together, causing pain and future problems within your bones. When the nucleus of the disc begins to excrete due to a tear, this is called a herniated disc.

Oftentimes, a herniated disc leads to sciatica pain. A herniated disc can be caused by excess weight, smoking, living a sedentary lifestyle, and genetics.

Treatment

If you’ve ever experienced a pinched nerve or sciatica pain, chances are you have desperately sought relief and looked for sciatica treatment. Well, if your pain is ongoing and doesn’t seem to be healing (it can take up to 2 months for it to heal on its own), then we’d suggest seeking out a professional.

Anti-inflammatory medication and painkillers are the first things you should try to help alleviate the pain and try to soothe it. If it persists, however, then you can seek out other treatment. A physical therapist can design a custom program for you that is aimed at preventing future injuries like this, focusing on strengthening your core and improving your range of motion.

Acupuncture is a proven effective method for reducing and relieving sciatica pain as well.

Lastly, seeking out a chiropractor is another great option. At Kilian Chiropractic , we can help take the pressure off of your sciatic nerve and relieve the pain you’re dealing with, allowing you to heal and move about more easily.

Our experts are here to help you feel better. You can book a chiropractic appointment online or call us at (604) 688-0724. We look forward to easing your pain!