Let’s face it: sciatica is a big pain in the butt.
I’m a newly minted dad and I need to polish up on the elegant art of dad joking!
Leg pain, with or without numbness or tingling, can be a huge limiting experience—not to mention emotionally draining. Many people like to think of it as a major setback, with fears of wondering the source, how long it’s going to last, or for that matter, if it’s ever going to go away.
For those of you who are presently dealing with it, or have dealt with it in the past, there is some good news. This type of problem is a temporary sensitivity our body has developed based usually on our habits, and we are very capable of re-adapting and overcoming it. With a little detective work, we often can find why we are currently dealing with this, and apply a course of correction.
The first big questions you should ask yourself are:
- Does it feel the same every time I do a certain activity?
- Has it been moving higher or lower in the leg quickly (within hours or days)?
- Is there numbness or tingling associated with it?
Like most problems we deal with in the office, we have to reduce the possibilities of what it is to as few decisions as possible. Sciatica, by true definition, is caused by a nerve or group of nerves originating from the lower back that have become less mobile in their path to where they end. Think of it like a hose that’s being pinched or caught somewhere. Evidence shows that this is actually a LESS COMMON problem of the lower back, and your leg pain may be originating from another, more common, spinal issue which we will discuss in another blog.
Sciatica typically presents in the following manner:
- It feels the same every time you perform a certain activity
- Progress or improvement of symptoms tends to be slower (weeks or months)
- Typically accompanied with numbness or tingling
If this sounds like a problem you are presently dealing with, we can help. We can provide the knowledge to approach the source of your problem, both through in-office management, and advisement on correcting the habits that started the problem in the first place; through self-corrective exercise and appropriate coached movement in your environment. Get informed, and get moving.
