5 Ways To Know If You Are Suffering From Sciatica

Your sciatic nerve is the longest and thickest nerve in your body. It originates at your spine, travels through your pelvis, into each buttock, and down the back of each thigh. It transports motor fibers (which control movement) and sensory fibers (which transmit sensations) and is instrumental in mobility - walking, running, and standing.

When your sciatic nerve gets injured or irritated, it can cause nerve pain anywhere along its path. This nerve pain and related symptoms are referred to as sciatica. 

Telltale sciatica signs are usually pain and tingling anywhere along the sciatic nerve path. These symptoms can come and go and co-existing conditions can sometimes make it worse. Most often, your symptoms and experience with sciatica will be unique to you. 

Because sciatica impacts each person differently, our chiropractic team, led by Andrew Dube, DC, at Apollo Chiropractic PC in Manhattan, New York City, highlights some symptoms and causes of sciatica. 

Understanding the causes of and risk factors for sciatica

While anything that compresses or irritates your sciatic nerve can lead to sciatica, some causes are more common than others. These include having a herniated disk, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, or muscle spasms in your back. Being pregnant often puts more pressure on your sciatic nerve as well, causing subsequent nerve pain. 

Things that make you more likely to develop sciatica include:

• Spine injuries
• Wear-and-tear on your spine that comes with aging
• Being overweight or obese
• Diabetes
• Sleeping on a mattress that’s too hard or too soft
• Wearing high heels too often
• Having a weak core

In addition, a sedentary lifestyle or a job that requires sitting at a desk for long periods can also lead to sciatica. 

Do you have sciatica?

Sciatica can cause a wide range of symptoms, but these five are the best indicators that something is affecting your sciatic nerve:

1. Pain

Sciatica pain ranges from a dull ache to severe, burning pain. It may feel like an electric shock and the sensation may shoot down your affected leg. The pain may worsen when you cough, sneeze, or sit for long periods. 

2. Tingling or “pins and needles”

This is medically known as paresthesia, the same feeling you get when your arm or leg falls asleep.

3. Numbness

With sciatica, you may not be able to feel sensation on your skin around the affected areas, including your back and leg. This happens because nerve signals along the sciatic nerve can’t reach your brain. 

4. Muscle weakness

If your sciatica gets severe, you may struggle to move your legs and feet because signals that control your muscle movement are cut off.

5. Urinary incontinence 

In very severe sciatica cases, signals that allow you to control your bladder can have difficulty reaching your brain, leading to urinary incontinence. 

Get started with expert-level sciatica care

For effective sciatica diagnosis and treatment, look no further than our team at Apollo Chiropractic PC. We can help relieve your pain with spinal manipulation, myofascial release, or other helpful therapies. 

Schedule an appointment for chiropractic care by calling our office or using our online booking feature today.