If you notice pain, in any form, that runs from your lower back to your feet or vice verse, you may be experiencing sciatic nerve pain symptoms. This means that your sciatic nerve may have been pinched, trapped, or damaged. While very uncomfortable, thousands of people all over the world suffer from this every year, so it is quite well-understood by the medical community. That said, you do need to understand the different symptoms so that you can find the appropriate treatment as well. Below are some of the most common symptoms to look out for.
Pain from the Back to the Feet:
Any pain that runs from your back to the bottom of your feet is likely to be one of the sciatic nerve pain symptoms to take note. This is the body’s largest nerve and it controls the lower back, the legs, the knees, and the feet. That said, pain is certainly not the only symptom that you should be on the lookout for.
Tingling Numbness from Lower Back to the Feet:
You may also experience tingling and numbness anywhere between the lower back and the feet, although the leg is the most common. When this happens, you possibly have a herniated disk, which can put pressure on the sciatic nerve. As a result, you will experience tingling and numbness. Furthermore, if you have a herniated disk, you may also notice that you muscles are getting weaker, particularly around the area where you experience tingling and numbness.
Lower Back Pain:
Lower back pain is the most common symptom of nerve problems of all, although this can also relate to a variety of other conditions. Indeed, it is believed that some 70% of the population globally will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Your nervous system has a tremendous impact on your back and any damage caused to them can lead to significant pain. For instance, you may be suffering from spondylolisthesis. This happens when one of the vertebra at the bottom of the spine slips and starts to pinch the sciatic nerve. This can lead to very serious pain, which is debilitating in nature.
Clearly, sciatic nerve pain symptoms can be caused by a range of different conditions and the symptoms can vary quite significantly as well. They range from an annoying tingle to incapacitating pain. It is common for the pain to be so intense that getting out of bed or sitting for extended periods of time is rendered impossible. Thankfully, medical understanding of the sciatic nerve has increased tremendously recently, which means various kinds of treatment are now available.
On average, pain can be reduced by as much as 50% through non-pharmaceutical treatment, which means you should be able to regain your usual quality of life. If you also opt for pharmaceutical treatment, then you should be able to live a normal life again. Treatment options include prescription painkillers (oral and topical), physiotherapy, acupuncture and acupressure, massage therapy, surgery, and more. Surgery is always seen as a last resort option, particularly because it affects the back.
