How do I know if I have Sciatica?

Jan 30

Sciatica is common and symptoms are different in everyone.

You have two sciatic nerves, and they are the longest and thickest nerves in your body, made up of other nerves which have roots originating in your spinal cord. There are varying symptoms but the most common are localised lower back pain, often travelling down the back of your leg accompanied by some form of paraesthesia (pins and needles). We call this pain radiculopathy, and it can travel from the buttocks and run as far as the foot.

Common causes include:

Degenerative disc disease
Disc herniation/s
Lumbar stenosis (compression in the spinal cord)

Spondylolisthesis (displacement of the vertebra-bone in the back)
Mechanical trauma from accident
Postural imbalances

I always stress to patients that I don’t have MRI eyes, but I can tell you a lot about the symptoms through neurological testing and examination of the body. I take my time doing these tests because the smallest findings can tell me a lot in the present moment and provide details in the future about your back health. Sciatica is a symptom of a condition and one of my jobs is to investigate what it might be. Patients may describe burning pains and pains that worsen with coughing, sneezing or bending forward to pick things up. A simple test is to sit down and raise your leg up a little towards you, now flex the foot up towards you. If the symptoms get worse when you bend your head towards your chest then you may have sciatica.

True sciatica is caused by injury to the nerve, direct trauma. Sciatic like pain is different and can feel like sciatica but it can be attributed to other causes.

A muscle called the piriformis can also cause a few issues by compressing the sciatic nerve. The nerve varies in the way it runs above below or through the muscle and in some it can be embedded so deeply and awkwardly that it makes it prone to extreme pain and discomfort. You may find yourself pressing into your gluteal a lot trying to relieve it.

If you are suffering urinary incontinence or inability to open your bowels for a longer period, or / and changes in sensation to the legs such as no sensation when wiping yourself after the toilet then it’s important to consult your doctor immediately.