Sciatica refers to pain in the lower back and buttocks. You may feel the pain down one or both legs. It is most commonly caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve, which runs from the spine to the pelvis. Other medical conditions, such as arthritis or herniated discs in vertebrae, can also cause Westfield Sciatica.  

Sciatica symptoms are usually described as a sharp pain that feels like a cramp in the lower back or buttock area. Here are some common signs and symptoms of sciatica:

Sharp pain or burning sensation in the buttock or thigh region

The most common symptom of sciatica is sharp, burning pain that starts in your buttock and travels down your leg. The pain is caused by nerve roots compressed by herniated discs, which occur when they bulge out through weak spots in their surrounding tissue. The pain may radiate to your thighs, hips, knees, and feet. It can feel like a cramp, but it is not due to a muscle spasm (the muscle fibers contract). You may also experience some numbness or tingling in the affected area if you have peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage).

Swelling of the leg or foot

Swelling of the leg or foot is one of the most common symptoms of sciatica, which is caused by inflammation of one or both legs. The swelling may occur anywhere along the nerve roots, especially where they enter the bone, or it can be limited to one side only. In addition, there may be inflammation around the disc itself (the protrusion at the bottom of a spinal cord). If you have this condition, you might have difficulty walking because your nerve roots are getting irritated due to pressure on them from your weight on one side only.

Pain on movement

Sometimes, there is no pain, but you feel pain when you move your leg or foot. It happens because there is pressure on nerve roots due to swelling of the sciatic nerve and other nerves in the back, which leads to irritation and inflammation of the sciatic nerve. It can also be experienced by people with diabetes mellitus (sugar level disorder) because they become more sensitive to pain due to the high levels of sugar in their bloodstream, which triggers irritation and inflammation of nerves.

Numbness or tingling in the legs and feet

Pain that spreads from your lower back down through your hips may cause numbness or tingle in your legs and feet (known as paresthesia). Also, if you have sciatica for a long time, you may experience leg weakness (mainly when walking) due to nerve damage caused by prolonged pressure on your nerves.

Weakness in the legs and feet

If you have sciatica for a long time, weakness caused by nerve damage can also result in weakening muscles around your hip joints (quadriceps)

Sciatica signs and symptoms may be mild or severe. The symptoms may also come and go or not go away at all. They can be constant or intermittent. The severity of symptoms depends on where they are located in your pelvis and how severe they are. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or want to learn more about sciatica, you can call or visit Eric Whitehouse, D.C., today.