Not the best thing to happen when you’re out on a flimsy little fishing boat.
Sounds like you may be having a bout of sciatica. Sciatica is pain originating in the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down the back of your legs. At Summit Healthcare, we can help you with your sciatica pain.
What is sciatica?
The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the human body, stretching from the spinal cord to the end of each leg. Sciatica is inflammation of the sciatic nerve. It generally develops over time as the nerve is compressed. Sciatica is characterized by pain along the nerve pathway, as well as numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness in the affected muscles.
What causes sciatica?
Sciatica is usually the result of compression of the sciatic nerve from a herniated disc or spinal stenosis. In a herniated disc, the bulging disc can push on the sciatic nerve. In stenosis, the spinal canal narrows over time usually due to a bone spur and begins to push on the nerve. There can be other causes ranging from nerve damage from diabetes to a tumor or pelvic injury, but most sciatica is from nerve compression.
Symptoms of sciatica
These are the common symptoms associated with sciatica:
- Lower back pain
- Pain in the butt or leg that occurs when sitting
- Hip pain
- Burning or tingling down the leg
- Weakness or numbness when moving a leg or foot
- A shooting pain that makes it difficult to stand up
- A constant pain on one side of the buttocks
Treatment of sciatica
At Summit Healthcare, Dr. Trujillo treats sciatica with a variety of approaches — everything from ice packs, physical therapy, pain medication, anti-inflammatory corticosteroid injections, and even nerve blocks.
If you have shooting pain down your legs while sitting or driving, call us at Summit Healthcare, (928) 532-1605, to make an appointment.
