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The sciatic nerve has five root endings, and when one or more of these roots becomes compressed by tight muscles that surround it, it can cause extreme pain and numbness in the low back. Sciatica is most often associated with lower back pain, but is only a set of symptoms not an actual diagnosis of what may be compressing the nerve or root endings.
Sciatica symptoms are often described as chronic or inconsistent pain in the lower back, hip, and/or thigh, and is most commonly only felt on one side of the body. The pain may be dull, sharp, tingly, or even sometimes numb, and is often more intense or ‘shooting’ when coming from a sitting position to standing. Often this pain begins in the upper buttock area and extends to the lower back, often traveling down the side or back of the thigh, and can even go into the knee or foot. There may also be muscle weakness in the leg, complete numbness which can cause a loss of control or difficulty in moving the leg.
The sciatic nerve is comprised of the five nerve roots that extend out of the spinal cord and into the lower back. The branches of the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body, extend through the buttock all the way down the leg and foot. Sciatica is not often a compression of the actual nerve, but a compression of some of the lumbar nerves (L4 or L5) or some of the sacral nerves (S1, S2, or S3). Diagnosing what is causing the sciatica can be difficult because many things can often be irritating or compressing the nerves.
Most often a doctor will give a physical exam, and take your full medical history. They exam the hips, back, and legs to test for strength, flexibility, sensation and reflexes. If it is still unclear what is causing the sciatica further tests may be done. Tests like MRI’s or MR Neurography have been proven to significantly enable a doctor in diagnosing the cause of the compression. MR Neurography is similar to an MRI and uses the same software, but...