Identifying the Signs and Symptoms of Sciatica

While we think of the symptoms of sciatica as the signs of a disease called “sciatica”, it is actually NOT a disease but a general term for a group of symptoms that arise from irritation or compression of the spinal nerve roots or the sciatic nerve(s).

General symptoms of sciatica nerve pain and irritation are…

• Lower back pain which may radiate to the hip and buttock
• Leg pain and foot pain
• Numbness
• Muscular weakness
• Pins and needles sensation or tingling
• Difficulty in moving the leg

Symptoms of sciatic nerve pain may be severe and are usually felt on only one side of the body depending upon the location of the underlying cause, such as a herniated disc or spinal stenosis.

Symptoms of Sciatica in Piriformis Syndrome

In cases of piriformis syndrome, the symptoms of sciatica pain follow what is termed as “wallet sciatica”. Sitting with a wallet in the rear hip pocket causes compression of the buttocks muscles and sciatic nerve resulting in pain that radiates from the buttock going down to the hip and leg.

Aside from the common symptoms of sciatica problems, cauda equina syndrome also manifests with progressive and functionally-limiting neurological deficits, such as increasing numbness and weakness of the leg making it difficult to walk, loss of bladder and/or bowel control, and loss of sexual function (impotence).

Symptoms Sciatica Pregnancy

Sciatica symptoms may also develop during pregnancy, as a result of the increased weight of the fetus that the mother is carrying and the pressure of the uterus upon the sciatic nerve. This is characterized by lower back pain which radiates to the hip and leg.

For a complete list of symptoms of sciatica, one may visit the sciatica information page on WebMD.

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