Sciatica is a medical condition in which a person experiences pain in the buttocks that radiates down one leg following the course of the affected sciatic nerve, one of the longest nerves in the body. The sciatic nerve runs down from your lower back and then splits through your hips, buttocks and both legs and feet.
Sciatica is often very painful and can be disruptive when a person does simple things like walking, sitting, and bending. The pain can become very severe at times and cause a tingling or numbing sensation in the leg or foot.
Though lower back pain is one of the common symptoms of sciatica, it does not always mean that you have a damaged sciatic nerve. However, there are other symptoms which can indicate that you suffer from sciatica, these include:
It is important to understand that sciatica affects only one side of the body, depending on where the nerve is affected. This pain may, in some cases, travel down to your foot or toes.
Different cases of sciatica are treated differently depending on the patient’s condition. Sometimes, sciatica does not require any treatment and resolves on its own within a period of three to six weeks. However, for worse cases, such as when an individual is unable to carry out daily activities, medical attention is necessary. Some of the treatments that might be suggested include:
If you feel that you are suffering from sciatica and need medical attention, then you can visit professionals who specialize in the field, such as:
It can be difficult to live with chronic or acute sciatica that has been troubling you for years. So if you have not yet thought of seeking medical advice, it’s important to do so before it hinders your life. Just ensure that you visit a qualified medical professional to receive the treatment you need.
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