5 Signs of Sciatica Never to Overlook

Sciatica is a painful experience that causes a decrease in the quality of life for those impacted. Sciatica causes pain that travels from your buttocks down your leg. It causes numbness, weakness, and a tingling sensation. Sciatica could indicate an underlying condition that starts in your lower back. Here are some signs that you shouldn’t overlook if you think you have sciatica.

Where is the sciatic nerve?

Your sciatic nerve goes from your lower back through your hips and buttocks, going down each leg. The name sciatica describes inflammation of this nerve, causing pain that radiates down the nerve into your hips and buttocks. This condition usually only affects one side of your body.

At first, you may not know that you’re dealing with sciatica pain. Over time, your symptoms may get worse. If you don’t try to treat it, it can get worse. Here are some signs of sciatica that you should look for.

Low back pain may be the first sign that you’re developing sciatica. The pain begins in your lower back and moves down your buttocks and leg. This pain is usually only on one side of your legs, but sometimes both sides hurt simultaneously. Bending, sitting, or standing makes it worse. The only relief is usually lying down, but for some individuals, even lying down hurts.

If you’re having strange burning or tingling sensations down one of your legs, this may be an early sign of sciatica. Many people describe this pain as a dull ache or sharp shooting pain. Either way, it’s challenging to maintain your everyday activities when dealing with it.

It could be a sign of sciatica if you notice discomfort when you’re sitting or standing at work. Moving might relieve the pain, but it may not go away. Some people say that lying down is the only way they find relief from their pain, but this isn’t always the case.

Besides experiencing pain, other signs of sciatica are weakness or numbness in your leg or foot. You may notice your feet feeling numb or tingling. This could signify you have a pinched nerve, which could cause your sciatica. These are severe signs. Go see your chiropractor right away for diagnosis and treatment.

There may also be circumstances when your leg gives out while walking or standing up. This sign of sciatica makes you prone to injury, especially if you lose your balance. Don’t overlook these signs, but seek medical care right away. Your chiropractor can give you exercises to do to help your sciatic nerve be restored. Fortunately, in most cases, sciatica can be treated at home or with minimal intervention. But once in a while, surgery is required.

If sciatica is left untreated, it can lead to long-term neurological conditions. Here are some complications that untreated sciatica causes.

What makes you more susceptible to getting sciatica?

Some circumstances or lifestyle choices make you at a higher risk for developing sciatica.

Here are some common causes of sciatica.

The good news is that most of the time, you can treat this back pain at home. In rare cases, you’ll need surgery. Try these suggestions to help your sciatica pain.

If you’ve had sciatica pain, you know the debilitating agony.  The burning sensation prevents you from doing your everyday activities. The symptoms are aching pain that runs from your hips to your buttocks and down your leg. You may have tingling or shooting pains down your legs. It hurts to move. Other signs of sciatica that people experience include numbness, causing their leg to weaken, so it gives out when they walk. Hopefully, this article gives you some practical tips on determining if you have sciatica, what could cause your discomfort, and how to deal with it so you can find relief.

Editorial Note 08/22/2023: Updated information on study.