Sciatica is a term that refers to a set of symptoms that appear due to a contusion of the sciatic nerve.
If you have symptoms such as pain that spreads from the lumbar back to the foot, tingling, inability to lift the foot, difficulty controlling the sphincter, weakness in the muscles of the foot and lower leg, then you most likely have some degree of damage to the sciatic nerve. There are different tests that we use to see if you have sciatica and what the degree of damage to the sciatica nerve is.
This type of testing is done with our StretchWell therapist with the best therapy plan.
Anatomy of the nerve
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in our body and originates from the sacral plexus of the nerves, from the lower lumbar (L4-L5) and upper sacral spinal nerves (S1, S2, S3). It leaves the pelvis through the foramen of the infrapiriform and enters the posterior lodge of the thigh and moves a little towards the inside and descends to the knee fossa where it branches into two nerves – the nervus tibialis and the nervus peroneus communis. The tibialis nerve starts from the thigh fossa and goes to the tarsal tunnel. The nervus peroneus communis moves from the knee fossa to the front of the lower leg and divides into the nervus peroneus superficialis (superficial) and the nervus peroneus profundus (deep). The deep peroneal nerve starts from the upper attachment of the long calf muscle and descends to the dorsum of the foot between the first and second toes. The superficial peroneal nerve starts from the upper attachment of the long calf muscle and descends to the outside of the dorsum of the foot.
The function of the sciatic nerve is to provide sensory and motor innervation in the leg.
Causes of damage
- The most common cause is a herniated disc where the contents (nucleus pulposus) that have come out of the vertebral disc press on the root of the sciatic nerve and thus lead to inflammation.
- Back injuries (lumbar spine/spinal cord).
- Degenerative changes in the spine.
- Stenosis of the spinal canal (when the spinal canal narrows in the lower part of the spine).
- Spondylolisthesis (slipping of one vertebra over another).
- Infection.
- Pregnancy.
- Tumor.
Symptoms
- Pain that can occur anywhere in the area where the sciatic nerve extends. Most often, the pain starts from the lumbar spine and goes all the way to the foot.
- Numbness in the legs.
- Muscle weakness in the legs.
- Sensory deficits.
- Lowered or extinguished Achilles reflex.
- Decreased muscle tone in the legs.
Risk factors
- Physical inactivity.
- Obesity that puts a lot of pressure on the joints in the body.
- Diabetes increases the risk of nerve damage due to metabolic changes.
- Aging increases the risk of degenerative changes in the vertebrae.
- Overload in the training process.
When there are any of these risk factors, it is best to start exercising, eating properly and working on mental health as soon as possible so that we can prevent nerve damage or further deterioration if the problem already exists.
Treatment
Treatment for sciatica varies depending on the degree of nerve damage. If the nerve damage is severe and the foot falls and the inability to control the sphincter occurs, it is necessary to contact a doctor as soon as possible and consult for a further course of treatment. Surgical treatment is applied in severe nerve damage. Physical treatments and kinesitherapy are most often advised to address the cause of the damage as well as to treat the symptoms. In kinesitherapy, we focus on nerve flossing and strengthening the muscles of the lumbar spine, abdominal muscles and pelvic muscles. In addition, we evaluate posture and the various functional patterns and weaknesses of the muscles that led to the damage in the first place.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at + 381600755703 or at [email protected]
