Sciatica is a general term given to nerve pain that travels down the leg.
Symptoms may include:
- Burning
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Pins & Needles
- Electric Shock Pain
These may occur when the nerves that exit from the lumbar spine or sacrum are compressed or irritated due to injury. Depending on the severity of the neural irritation, the pain can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months to settle.
While there are many causes of sciatica, gentle spinal mobility exercises and leg stretches may relieve the irritation to the sciatic neural tissues where the local disc, ligament or muscle tissues of the lower back are involved.
In some patients, the damage to the neural tissues may result in:
- Recent onset of bladder dysfunction
- Recent onset of bowel incontinence
- Numbness in the genital region
- Recent onset of sexual dysfunction
- Worsening weakness in both legs
If you are experiencing any of the listed symptoms it is crucial to contact your GP for an MRI or CT scan of the lumbar spine to identify the exact cause and severity of neural insult.
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