Sciatica Pain

Defining Sciatic Nerve

The sciatic nerve is the single largest and longest nerve in the entire human body that stretches from the lower back to the buttocks and then splits into each leg and foot. It measures roughly the width of an average person’s thumb and forms by joining five different nerve roots (or nerve fibers) from the lower spine.

These fibers make their way out of the openings in the bones of your spine. Two of these fibers come from the lumbar spine, while the others, from the sacral spine. All five bundle near the piriformis muscle and from there go down to your feet.

About Sciatica Pain

Sciatica is an umbrella term referring to severe chronic pain and any intensely agonizing pain associated with the sciatic nerve roots. But why does your sciatic nerve hurt so much?

The sciatica pain results from irritation or injury to the sciatic nerve or as an indication of an underlying medical disorder.

Nerva damage causing radiating pain in your buttocks and related disabilities are the hallmarks of sciatica symptoms. But, you could also be experiencing numbness, pricking, burning, or tingling sensation in the lower back, thigh, leg, or foot. The pain can worsen when sitting still or standing, giving you an electrical shock-like sensation, but it improves when walking or lying down.

Surprisingly, the discomfort can fade away on its own in a few weeks and with proper treatment. But, a few patients might require an invasive sciatica treatment to relieve the nerve pressure.

At Renovaire Pain Care, we suggest conservative, non-invasive therapies for sciatic nerve pain relief. The most commonly prescribed sciatica treatment includes proper bed rest, heat/ice therapy, physical therapy, sciatica exercise, anti-inflammatory medications, or even OTC pain relievers to manage the symptoms.

Do You Have Sciatica Pain?

We highly recommend that you see a physician and have them examine your symptoms. But here, we also tell you about a few self-tests, so you are armed with the knowledge of whether or not you have sciatica symptoms or something similar.

Start by sitting on a chair comfortably and bend forward with your palms touching the ground. Does that ease your leg pain or gives no discomfort at all?

Now, stand straight, raise both your arms up and stretch. Does that increase your pain?

Besides, are you pregnant, have slipped (herniated) disk, or are over the age of 55 and have constant leg and lower body pain?

If you said yes to any of these, get yourself checked and seek appropriate sciatica treatment. Other than the above, you can also try two more self-diagnostic tests to confirm your condition:

Seated Straight Leg Raise – Sit straight on a chair, lengthen one of your legs, pull your foot towards you, and bend the neck down. Do this with both legs to compare the difference in pain.

Seated Slouch Pulling – Sit in a slouching position on a chair with your neck bent down. Grab the seat with both hands and pull it up with force. Now, look up at the ceiling and pull again. Do you feel extreme pressure on your spine going down the leg?

If any of these give you excruciating pain, or you aren’t able to stretch that much in the first place, there is a problem.

In addition, you could also be experiencing false sciatica pain, A.K.A. the piriformis syndrome. It is an irritation of the piriformis muscle in your pelvis going right over the sciatica nerve, and this again indicates you to see a qualified practitioner.

Battle Sciatica Today, Enjoy Life Every Day!

Sciatica isn’t your average lower back pain. It’s a type of severe chronic pain and increasing age, a sedentary lifestyle, an underlying cause, and demanding professions are the common risk factors for sciatic nerve pain. If you are constantly experiencing uneasiness in your lower body, and the pain persists more than eight weeks, time for an expert diagnosis.

Remember, sciatica or even sciatica-like pain can affect your life’s quality. So, never leave excruciating pains to doubt. Battling chronic pain from sciatica may seem impossible if conservative treatments do not provide relief. Our innovative treatments and pain management options for chronic pain and sciatica can help you live life again with comfort and ease.

Reach out to a Renovaire Pain Care physician today to feel healthy, active, and pain-free once again. We extend our services to residents in Katy, Texas.

Call us on 281-768-4122 to schedule your appointment to learn about pain management options for chronic pain sciatic nerve pain relief.