Do you have a sharp pain that frequently radiates through your buttocks, down the outside of your leg, right into your foot? If so, you might ask me as so many others have: Is sciatica causing my leg pain?
That’s an easy one. No.
How can you say that without ever meeting me you ask? Let me explain.
The term sciatica can describe the symptoms you are feeling. But it doesn’t describe what causes those symptoms.
Mere semantics? Not really. Because ending your sciatic pain doesn’t require finding out what your pain feels like (the symptoms, called sciatica). It requires finding out what is causing it (the underlying condition).
So, what causes sciatica?
Glad you asked. But let’s first clear up what sciatica actually is with a more formal definition to make sure we’re on the same page.
Sciatica is the symptom of radiating pain felt in the lower back, buttocks, hamstring, back of the knee, outside of the calf, and / or the foot. It may also be associated with muscular weakness, numbness, or even an electrical tingly feeling. Yep, tingly is a technical term.
The underlying cause of sciatica is generally the compression or irritation of either the actual sciatic nerve or one of the major lumbar nerves (L4 or L5) or sacral nerves (S1, S2, or S3).
Sometimes women experience sciatica during pregnancy as the enlarged uterus presses against the sciatic nerve and postural dysfunctions associated with carrying the extra weight pulls their spine out of proper alignment.
When it comes to sciatica, the right question isn’t “Is sciatica causing my leg pain?” Instead ask, “Is my leg pain sciatica?” This short video will help you visualize what may be causing your sciatica so you can quickly treat it properly and end your sciatic pain.
Find out in this informative video… plus you’ll also learn why most traditional sciatica treatments fail to deliver lasting pain relief, how to identify what’s causing your sciatica and which treatments are likely to work the best for you.
Be sure to watch our additional sciatica videos and articles about sciatic pain.
Imagine the pain of a sharp razor blade slicing open your lower back, through your buttocks and down the back of your leg. Then again, if you suffer from sciatica, you may not need to imagine it at all.
Sciatica is not an actual condition, but describes a very real set of back and leg pain symptoms. Fortunately you can almost always reduce or completely stop sciatic pain right at home without harmful drugs or surgery.
What causes sciatica pain
The sciatic nerve is the largest single nerve in the human body. It is also the thickest at over 3/4 of an inch across. It supplies nearly the whole skin of the leg, the back thigh muscles, and other muscles down to the feet. This length is why shooting pain down one or both legs is felt when the nerve is irritated.
Sciatica symptoms are caused by one of four conditions: a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, isthmic spondylolisthesis, or most commonly piriformis syndrome where the piriformis muscle places pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Get sciatica relief right at home
In each of the four common conditions causing sciatica, muscle imbalances either directly cause or contribute to the condition behind your pain. For sciatica relief, you can follow a simple three step process in the privacy of your own home.
First, identify the cause. This involves understanding the dysfunctions present in your body and the muscle imbalances which created them. These can be identified through a series of self assessments.
Second, treat the pain symptoms. Clearly you won’t be able to correct the problem if your pain is so severe that you can’t move.
Finally, begin working on the underlying dysfunctions and muscle imbalances which caused the condition leading to sciatica. Relief that lasts requires correcting the problem, not just covering up the symptoms.
Learn more about getting at home sciatica relief including a video which shows a quick stretch you can use to stop sciatica pain from piriformis syndrome in seconds plus complete details behind the causes and treatments for sciatica.
Perhaps you’ve had a hard day, you had to shovel the walk, dig your car out of the snow, mailed a few heavy packages, put on some extra holiday weight, or had to take your in-laws around town. You’re tired, and it feels like your back is about to go out.
To keep this from happening, you can simply do a few exercises that will help loosen you up and restore your posture. A few relaxed sets of these exercises can immediately make you feel better.
They told me surgery was my last option.
Instead, I ordered Lose The Back Pain and
got rid of my pain in 2-days.
“Now I don’t even have to take painkillers.
“I have received the program of yours 4 days ago. After being crippled with sciatic pain in my left leg for the last year I decided I had nothing more to lose. The medical advice was that surgery is my last option. I have been doing the self-assessments and found out I had a forward tipping pelvis.
“I am doing the recommended exercises twice a day. My sciatica did subside on the 2nd day and I no longer require painkillers. I can sleep at night and function just about normally during the day.
“Thank you guys so much for giving me my life back!”
Regards, Udo Hoffman
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“I am 99% free of any Sciatica!”
“The stretches are working; I am 99% free of any Sciatica in my lower back and also left outside leg. I am also working on a muscle imbalance and an FTP. The muscle imbalance is visually reducing and I am standing a lot straighter, less stoop and more straight legs rather than bent.”
“Thanks for your System its working excellent for me”
Best Regards, D. Roy Ellis, Canada
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“I Have Absolutely No Sciatic Pain… YIPPEE!”
“Not to speak of the $1,000 out-of-pocket expense for a chiropractor who doesn’t acknowledge muscles, period. It’s a long story which can be summed up in: I couldn’t sit AT ALL, stand for only a minute or so, walk only to get to kitchen, bath, and back to bed.
“Today, I have absolutely no sciatic nerve pain running down my leg! YIPPEE! If I’d followed the chiropractor’s advice, I’d still be in bed resting between the 3 adjustments a week. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart! (and from the left side of my bottom and hamstring ”
The Healthy Back Institute - 333 Main St. Suite #201 Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Phone: 800-216-4908 Fax: 866-843-4319
The Healthy Back Institute is a Get Healthy and Fit Company
Do you have a sharp pain that frequently radiates through your buttocks, down the outside of your leg, right into your foot? If so, you might ask me as so many others have: Is sciatica causing my leg pain?
Imagine the pain of a sharp razor blade slicing open your lower back, through your buttocks and down the back of your leg. Then again, if you suffer from sciatica, you may not need to imagine it at all.
Perhaps you’ve had a hard day, you had to shovel the walk, dig your car out of the snow, mailed a few heavy packages, put on some extra holiday weight, or had to take your in-laws around town. You’re tired, and it feels like your back is about to go out.
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