You may have come across the term sciatica at some point. Read on to learn more about the condition. First, it is a medical term used to describe numbness, pain, and weakness. Another definition describes it as nerve pain in the leg. The pain may be brought about by irritation and sometimes compression of the sciatic nerve. You will experience the pain from the lower back and down through the buttocks and leg. The medical term for sciatic nerve pain is lumbar radiculopathy. If you are experiencing it, then a good Las Vegas sciatica doctor can help relieve your pain.
Common symptoms of sciatica
As explained above, you will usually experience this condition’s symptoms along the large sciatic nerve path. The following features usually characterize the condition:
Pain
The pain due to sciatica is often a constant burning sensation. This is a shooting pain that starts in the buttocks or the lower back and then radiates down from the front or the back of the thigh and leg or legs.
Numbness
This pain may be accompanied by a numbness feeling in the back of your leg(s). At times you can experience a tingling sensation or weakness together.
One-sided symptoms
In most cases, this condition affects one leg and results in a feeling of heaviness of the affected leg. There is a possibility of having both legs affected; however, this seldom happens.
Posture induced symptoms
The condition or the pain may seem to worsen while you are sitting or trying to stand. Twisting the spine or bending it forward or while coughing, the pain seems to get worse. You may relieve this pain by walking or applying a heat pack on the rear pelvic area.
When is the condition a medical emergency?
Although it may be uncommon, sciatica’s signs and symptoms may indicate many severe conditions that may need immediate medical attention, be it medical intervention or surgical intervention.
Medical conditions that may result in sciatica-like symptoms
Certain medical conditions that can cause sciatica-like symptoms include the following:
Spinal cord compression and/or infection
Compression of the cauda equina, a nerve that descends from your spinal cord, causes leg pain or back pain. Facet joint cysts can also be a cause for back or leg pain, especially while moving.
Tumors
Tumors of your lumbar epidural sheath, soft tissues, bone, sciatic nerve sheath, or the prostate gland may also result in back or leg pain. On the other hand, metastatic tumors, commonly from lung and prostate cancer, may also result in the same symptoms as those of spinal stenosis.
There is help at McNulty Spine
Approximately 40% of Americans usually experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. Nonetheless, Patrick S. McNulty, MD, FABSS, FABOS, is a doctor who specializes in treating this condition. He is a board-certified and award-winning orthopedic surgeon at McNulty Spine in Las Vegas. For more information about his services, visit the website or contact him by telephone for further help.
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