Sciatic Pain

Sciatic pain, or sciatica, is a blanket term used for ongoing leg and potential foot pain, originating from the lower back or glute area. In more severe cases the dull aching pain will be accompanied by neurological type symptoms, including pins & needles or numbness following a similar pattern.

The term “sciatica” gets its name from the largest nerve in the body, the sciatic nerve. This nerve originates in the nerve roots in the lower back, in the spinal cord, and runs down through the glutes (buttock), through the lower limbs and into the bottom of the foot.

Symptoms

The symptoms of sciatic pain will vary between individuals, depending on the type of cause and the severity of the condition. The more severe the compression of the nerve the more severe the symptoms will be, and the greater chance the individual will suffer from multiple symptoms. Symptoms may include;

Intermittent or constant dull aching pain down the back or the outside of the leg. The distance down the leg the pain travels will vary depending on the individual; some people will only feel the pain into their glutes (bum), while others will feel the pain all the way through to the foot.
Numbness through the leg, not always directly associated with the pain felt in the back of the leg.
Some people will have feelings of a burning sensation, or tingling through their leg instead of the dull aching pain down the back of the leg that others may be feeling.
For some individuals there will be certain movements, postures, or positions that make their symptoms worse. The most common position is sitting.

Treatment for Sciatica

At Leaders Sports & Spine Physiotherapy we pride ourselves on preventing people from spending the rest of their lives taking medications, or even having surgery to potentially relieve their pain.

After a thorough assessment of your condition and your symptoms, our Physiotherapy team will develop a treatment plan that may include manual therapy (joint treatment), soft and deep tissue mobilisations, trigger point therapy, and most importantly exercise prescription – to get you moving freely again.

For some suffering from sciatic pain, they may have been recommended to undergo surgery to relieve their symptoms. For most people in this situation, a second opinion can be very valuable. The team at Leaders Sports & Spine Physiotherapy have extensive experience in sciatic, and other spine pain conditions, and understand where Physiotherapy can help, and when it is not the best option and it is more appropriate to refer for surgery.

Sciatic Pain

Physiotherapy

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Spine Physiotherapy

Pilates

Sciatic Pain

Symptoms

Treatment for Sciatica