A sharp sometimes burning pain, originating around you buttocks, shoots down you leg. The pain did stop around your knee but now it has extended its unbearable path down your ankle. Or maybe the pain is less severe with tingling or a “pins-and needles” sensation in the leg or thigh. Maybe you just have recurrent thigh cramping or experience pain while running or seated. Regardless to the description of the discomfort, or when it occurs, your quality of life is not the same. Golf, basketball, chores or simple exercise aren’t inviting options when walking or sitting is torturous. Further, if you are between 30-50 years of age you are more likely to experience this problem.
The cause of your pain could be simple wear and tear, or prolonged sitting or lying on the buttocks. Compression of the sciatic nerve by the piriformis muscle, or pressure on a lumbar disk that may press directly on sciatic nerve roots could be the cause of discomfort. Sciatic pain of the latter type is generally associated with accompanying back pain, while the former generally starts around the buttocks. Systemic diseases like Diabetes, which can lead to neuropathy (nerve damage), pressure from tumors, abscess, fracture, and bony irregularities (ex. osteoarthritis) can cause the pain associated with Sciatica (lumbar radiculopathy). In some cases the cause may be idiopathic, meaning of unknown origin. If you experience bladder or bowel dysfunction (i.e. urine retention, incontinence) decreased sensation around the genitals, or progressive leg weakness, seek immediate medical care as the previous may indicate cauda equine syndrome which is a medical emergency.
The good news is that Sciatica is not a medical emergency and the vast majority will generally heal itself, if given time and rest. However, approximately 25 percent of sciatica suffers have symptoms that last 6 weeks or longer. So what should you do to treat the pain in the interim? What options do you have if the pain does not subside after three weeks?
To uncover gentle and safe treatment options read “The Benefits of Acupuncture on Sciatica” in the Article section of Resources.
