Chiropractor Sydney Approach to Sciatica & Leg Pain.
There are two leading spinal causes for leg pain: radiculopathy and referred pain.
- Radiculopathy usually stems from impingement on the nerves of the lower back that exit the spine named the sciatic nerve, usually as a result of a disc herniation or other structures that may narrow the pathway of the nerve as it exits the spine or within the spinal canal. Sciatica tends to give a sharp, shooting pain that extends from the hip, leg, ankle, and foot; the leg pain may be worse than the hip/lower back pain. Alternatively, it could be the converse. Things like coughing, sneezing, or anything that increases intra-abdominal pressure is more likely to exacerbate the pain; there may be sensory loss, i.e. numbness or pins and needles in the leg(s) or weakness, which is the case in more severe cases
- Referred leg pain, associated with lower back pain, which may also be referred to as “pseudo-sciatica” and isn’t typically associated with sensory or strength loss of the lower limb(s), the pain in the lower back and hip tends to be a lot worse than the leg pain. The pain doesn’t always extend past the knee; when it does extend into the foot it can usually be reproduced by manually compressing the trigger point deep in the hip; the pain is usually described as more of an ache rather than pins and needles/numbness and it rarely a sharp, shooting or electric pain. The leg pain tends to settle or decrease at night when sleeping or lying down.
When dealing with sciatica and leg pain, getting a proper diagnosis and the right information from the start is crucial; a discussion on the several different treatment options should also be had, which may include medical treatment options, assuming you’re not responding to treatment, or your pain is getting worse. Education is also critical; it’s essential to realise that most people’s sciatica will resolve within 6- 12 weeks, and only a fraction of sciatica sufferers require surgery.
