What are Sciatica Pain Symptoms?
Sciatica occurs when irritation, inflammation, or compression affects one or more of the nerves that run down the back and legs.
The sciatic nerve is a bundle of five nerves originating from the spinal cord that can be up to 2 cm wide. Any injury or pressure on this nerve can cause irritation, resulting in pain.
Additionally, it may cause a tingling sensation, numbness, and difficulty walking. Sciatica is not a serious condition, and it usually gets better on its own with self-care. Severe cases might need surgery.
Common Symptoms of Sciatica
There are two types of sciatica: true sciatica (an injury that happens directly to the sciatic nerve) and sciatica-like condition (a condition that feels like sciatica but happens for other reasons related to sciatica nerves). Both have different causes but the same effects. The common sciatica pain symptoms are as follows:
Shooting Pain Down the Leg: Sciatica pain happens when a sciatic nerve is compressed. Intense pain radiates from the buttocks to the foot along the sciatic nerve path. Most people describe this pain as an electric shock. This pain also radiates down the leg. Pain worsens while coughing, sneezing, bending, or lifting your legs upward when lying on the back.
Numbness or Tingling Sensation: Numbness causes a sensation loss in the affected back and leg areas. It happens because signals from the pain point have trouble reaching the brain.
Tingling sensation (paresthesia): This is similar to your feeling when a leg falls asleep because you sit cross-legged. Pins-and-needles sensation in the leg, foot, or toes is one of the sciatica symptoms, and if it happens often, you must seek medical attention.
Muscle weakness: When muscle command signals have trouble reaching the destination in your back and legs. This is a severe symptom causing difficulty in movement or standing.
Burning or Stabbing Pain: Dull, aching, shooting, or “burning” pain that starts in your lower back and/or buttock and radiates down one of your legs. Back pain accompanied by leg pain is the key symptom that suggests you have sciatica rather than another type of back pain.
Symptoms Based on Severity
The severity of sciatica can be assessed by its symptoms. Sciatic pain can be classified into two types based on severity: mild and chronic pain. The details are as follows.
Mild Sciatica Pain Symptoms
Sciatic pain with mild symptoms such as mild ache and tingling sensation in the lower back or buttocks. This little discomfort is manageable and gets better with time.
- Numbness and tingling sensation
- Mild ache in leg and buttocks
- Get better within a few days
- Manageable pain
Chronic Sciatica Pain Symptoms
Chronic pain is persistent pain lasting weeks or longer and often worsening with activity. Potential symptoms include constant pain radiating down the back of the leg, often into the calf, increased numbness and tingling in the leg and foot, difficulty standing or walking for extended periods due to pain, and pain that worsens when coughing, sneezing, or standing.
Positional Symptoms
Positional symptoms are those that are experienced in specific positions, such as walking, standing, sitting, coughing, or sneezing.
Pain Worsened by Sitting
When you sit for extended periods, the weight of your body puts pressure on the lower back discs. It can compress the sciatic nerve, leading to sciatica pain. This pain can radiate down towards the legs. The longer you sit without moving, the more likely it is to worsen the sciatic pain.
Difficulty Standing or Walking
Standing for an extended period can aggravate sciatic pain. Even walking short distances can also become problematic. It happens because pain radiating down from the sciatic nerve makes it hard to move.
Chronic (long-term pain) sciatic pain can cause severe damage to affected nerves, which results in “foot drop.” This condition happens when nerve damage causes numbness in the foot, making walking difficult.
Sciatica can also cause permanent damage to affected nerves, resulting in loss of feeling in affected legs.
Warning Signs to Watch For
Although sciatica is not dangerous, but it requires medical attention in severe cases. There are some red flags that you must not ignore:
- Lower back pain
- Sharp shooting pain
- Loss of bowel control
- Unable to lift feet or move
- Pain that worsens with cough or sneezing
Cauda equina syndrome occurs when an injury or herniated disc compresses the nerve roots in the lower back. This can lead to symptoms such as leg weakness, incontinence, and back pain. If you experience any of these symptoms, it is crucial to seek immediate medical attention. If you notice these signs, it is advised to contact your doctor right away.
To learn more about sciatica pain symptoms, consult our doctors, or visit our center, or reach us at 0800-00-558.
How Symptoms Differ Between Individuals
Sciatica pain can vary in severity and the areas affected. In cases of mild pain, a person may experience sciatica symptoms such us numbness and tingling sensation, back pain, leg pain, and difficulty in walking. However, this condition improves over a few weeks. In cases of chronic pain, an individual might become unable to move or may lose bowel control, and this condition can last for several months. It is important to consult a doctor if you are experiencing any symptoms of sciatica, as timely detection can help prevent complications.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I know if I have sciatica?
If you experience sciatica symptoms such as pain that radiates down to the legs and worsens while sitting or standing, bowel incontinence and numbness are the concerning signs of sciatic pain.
Is my leg pain a symptom of sciatica?
Leg pain solely is not a symptom of sciatica.
What does sciatica pain feel like?
Sciatica pain often feels like sharp shooting or stabbing pain and a burning or tingling sensation. Many people describe it as a shock.
Is sciatica pain sharp or dull?
Sciatica pain can be sharp or dull depending on severity and individual experience.
How do I identify sciatica pain symptoms?
Generally, symptoms include dull backache or burning pain that radiates down to the legs. Back pain accompanied by leg pain is a symptom that suggests you have sciatica rather than any type of pain.
What are the mild sciatica pain symptoms ?
A person may experience mild burning pain that radiates to the legs in cases of mild pain.What are the severe symptoms of sciatica?
In severe cases, the pain can be sharp enough to immobilize a person. Pain may be felt in one part of the leg while numbness occurs in other areas.
Can sciatica symptoms last for months?
Sciatica symptoms may improve within a week, but in some individuals, they can last for months.
Can sciatica pain symptoms worsen after sleeping?
Sleeping in an awkward position can cause stiffness or compress the sciatic nerve, resulting in worsened symptoms of sciatic pain.
What are the final stages of sciatica?
The final stages of sciatica are often referred to as chronic pain. Its symptoms include severe pain radiating toward the legs, back pain, limited range of motion, and loss of bowel control.