Bilateral Sciatica:
The symptoms of sciatica may range from infrequent and irritating to severe and debilitating. Sciatica symptoms depend on the specific spinal nerve root that is irritated and/or compressed in the lower spine. Your treatment options for the condition include physical therapy, medicines, and at-home remedies to manage symptoms. The best way to find out what’s going on is to work with your doctor. But some red flags for sciatica include lower back pain along with numbness or tingling in your butt or down the back of your leg. You may also get muscle weakness in the leg affected by sciatica.
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Surgery might be an option if your case is severe or other treatments don’t help. It’s best to use a high-quality mattress built for your sleeping position and body weight to keep your spine aligned and minimize your pain as much as possible. Massages improve blood circulation, relax muscles, reduce muscle tightness, and release endorphins, all of which are natural pain-relievers and can ease irritation. You can self-massage at home or visit a massage therapist for treatment. Dual piriformis syndrome is theoretically possible, but extremely rare. The diagnosis however is relatively common, especially when there is no obvious spinal cause to blame.
There’s one big bundle of nerves that go from your butt down to your knee. That big nerve group branches off into a bunch of little nerves that go to your lower leg, foot, see and toes. A physical therapist can show you how to do exercises that will improve your posture, ease pressure on your sciatic nerve, and make you more flexible.
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Severe nerve compression can progress to leg paralysis if the sciatic nerve is significantly damaged from chronic compression. You may be diagnosed with sciatica after sharing your medical history with your doctor and getting a physical exam. When it tightens, it can put pressure on your sciatic nerve, leading to sciatica. Piriformis syndrome can worsen if you sit for long periods, fall, or experience a car crash. The substance inside can bulge outward or completely spill out of the disc and compress on your sciatic nerve, resulting in lower limb pain and numbness. It’s estimated that 1 to 5 percent of all people will have back pain caused by a slipped disc at some point in their lives.
Learn more about lower back pain and what causes it from rehabilitation physician and back pain specialist Akhil Chhatre, M.D. Radiculopathy is a broader term that describes see post the symptoms caused by a pinched nerve in your spine. We received our sleep coach training through the Spencer Institute to better understand the nuances of sleep science.
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If you have severe pain lasting beyond 6 to 12 weeks or you are debilitated by your pain, your doctor may suggest surgery. While ‘sciatica’ is often used to describe a sharp pain in the lower back and legs, not all sciatic nerve pain is sciatica. While the symptoms are similar from case-to-case, minor details signal different causes, such as whether your pain begins in your back versus your legs.
But surgery is usually done only when sciatica causes severe weakness, loss of bowel or bladder control, or pain that doesn’t improve with other treatments. Lying on your back emphasizes the lumbar spine’s curve, potentially pinching the sciatic nerve’s roots and causing pain. Elevate your legs using a pillow under your here knees or an adjustable base to reduce the pressure and relieve your symptoms. Sciatica from the S1 nerve root is also known as classic sciatica as it’s most commonly rooted in the sacrum. Sciatica from the S1 level specifically causes pain and weakness in the buttocks, back of the calf, and outside of the foot.
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It provides sensation throughout both legs, all the way down to the toes. Pain, weakness, and other discomfort arise when the nerve becomes compressed. A straight-leg raise has variable sensitivity and specificity and may or may not be present depending on the underlying cause. The straight-leg test is a passive examination where the patient first lies in a relaxed, supine position.
However, if it’s too difficult to switch positions, temporarily use a pillow under your hips to protect your back. A simple way to reduce this pain is to use topical treatments such as analgesic (pain-relief) ointments or hot and cold therapies. They provide temporary relief for localized pain and can be used throughout the day as needed.
However, if the spinal mass effect is diagnosed (eg, epidural abscess or epidural hematoma), immediate consultation with a spinal surgeon should be obtained. This includes whether you have had any recent injuries, where you feel the pain, and how the pain feels. They’ll want to know what makes it better, what makes it worse, and how and when it started.
This could include involuntary bowel and bladder movements and difficulty passing urine. Weakness from sciatica can be felt anywhere along the leg’the entire leg, the knee, etc. The weakness might worsen if the underlying cause is not treated correctly. It is especially common with conditions that affect the piriformis muscle beneath the gluteal (butt) muscles. Although resting for a day or so may provide relief, staying inactive will make symptoms worse.
With treatment, you can put sciatica behind you and return to living on your terms. Sciatica from a herniated disk, spinal stenosis or bone spurs can cause inflammation or swelling in the affected leg. The possible complications and side effects depend on many factors, especially the specific treatments used, the severity of your symptoms, what caused your sciatica and more.