Sciatica Leg Pain

Sciatica leg pain occurs when a nerve root is irritated. Leg sciatica pain is experienced once the stinging sensation coming from the sciatic nerves shoots down to the legs.

Usually leg sciatica stretches from the lower area of the back then it goes down to the thigh and then directly to the leg portion. And it could even reach the feet and toes of the affected side. It is not possible to experience sciatica in both legs because frequently just one side of the lower body is affected by the sciatic nerve leg pains. The sciatica and leg pain could be comparable to an electric shock, being pricked by needles and pins or in some cases the person might experience sciatica leg numbness. However, the sciatica pain in legs could range from just a tolerable mild sting to an excruciating sciatica leg pain. The feeling could be worsened when the person experiencing it would cough, sneeze, bend, or even by just sitting down. An effect of which is a weakened leg from sciatica. In addition to the sciatica leg weakness, sciatica leg numbness and sciatica leg spasm may also be experienced. It is usually caused by lifting heavy objects, stooping or bending improperly. Though there could be quite a number of instances that it is caused by a crack or fracture on the disc in the spinal cord. Proper posture may help avoid this symptom. The attending physician would inquire for the medical history of the patient and most of the times ask them to have a physical examination.

Before any treatment is done to the patient, several tests are conducted. The sciatica straight leg test determines the area where the pain is located and it also helps verify whether it is due to a disk rupture in their spinal cord. Another test performed in determining sciatica in legs is by the rotation of the hips. This could further help in assessing the hip muscles. Electricity conduction through the tissues of the nerves could be done as well. These kinds of physical exams are accomplished to identify the correct diagnosis for sciatica leg pain. CT scan and MRI are also conducted if it is necessary based from the results. The radiating pain caused by sciatica could last for weeks. The sciatica and leg pain may be felt in intervals or worse, continuously. Some researchers have a theory that quite an amount of nerve damages are due to the neurotransmitter and immune system chemical discharges, as it increases the pain message continuously. In effect, the pain is always felt even if the injury has already been healed or the damage restored. This is alarming because managing this unusual kind of pain is hard and complicated, especially if one cannot bear much pain.