Back Pain Running Down Your Leg? What to Know About Sciatica
Each week we pick out a few reader questions, and today we’ve been asked about someone’s new back pain that shoots down their leg.
When pain starts in the lower back and travels into the butt, thigh, calf, or foot, it can point to nerve irritation, not just a sore muscle.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, this sort of progression ties to sciatica. This is a pain caused by irritation or pressure on the sciatic nerve, the long nerve that runs from the lower back through the butt and down each leg.
Regular back strain may stay put, but nerve pain often moves. It can feel sharp, burning, or like an electric jolt. Sometimes it gets worse when you cough, sneeze, bend, or sit too long.
I know this kind of pain can sound alarming, and honestly, it should get your attention, but you shouldn’t panic. The Mayo Clinic reported that sciatica usually affects one side of the body, and some people also notice numbness, tingling, or weakness in the leg or foot.
One part of the leg may hurt while another part feels oddly numb. That mismatch is a clue that a nerve may be involved.
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica isn’t a body part going bad, it’s the name for a specific nerve pain pattern. The pain follows the path of the sciatic nerve from the buttocks down the leg.
The sciatic nerve helps with movement and feeling in the legs and feet, which explains why sciatica can involve more than pain alone. When that nerve gets pinched or irritated, your body tends to react.
One of the most common causes of sciatica is a herniated disk. The Mayo Clinic found that a disk in the spine can press on lower back nerve roots, which then triggers pain farther down the leg.
Other possible causes include:
- Spinal stenosis
- Degenerative disk disease
- Osteoarthritis
- Spondylolisthesis
- Pregnancy
- In rarer cases tumors, cysts, or other growths.
What else can show up?
Beyond numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness, in more serious cases of sciatica, trouble with bladder or bowel control may occur.
According to the Mayo Clinic, sudden weakness or numbness in a leg is a warning sign.
This is the kind of symptom that people try to shrug off because they’re busy, or because they think it’s just part of getting older. Never brush off sudden weakness.
When to contact a doctor
Fortunately, many people suffering with sciatica see improvement in four to six weeks. This is even without seeing a doctor.
We recommend trying the following if symptoms start:
- Small movements
- Slight stretches
- Anti-inflammatory pain relief
- Heat or ice packs.
Yet, it’s vital that you see a doctor if:
- The pain lasts longer than a week
- Keeps getting worse
- Or does not improve with exercise and self-care.
Finally, if your symptoms include:
- Sudden leg weakness
- Major numbness
- Or trouble controlling your bodily functions.
Seek immediate medical care.
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