The pain may hit suddenly like a lightening bolt, or may be like an excruciating “toothache” in your legs – either way sciatica is a painful experience that The Family Osteopaths are able to help you with in most cases. Early Sciatic Pain is often so mild it can be ignored but this is the stage when it’s vital to see your family osteopath.
Sciatica is a general term describing pain from irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve that leaves your spine to supply your leg. Its symptoms are generally pain down the back of the legs and can sometimes be felt in the ankles, feet & toes. Even when sciatica originates from the lower part of the spine, low back pain isn’t necessarily present. A prolapsed disc (click here for prolapsed disc) may cause sciatica but there are other conditions, such as the spinal wear and tear of osteoarthritis that can cause irritation of the sciatic nerve. The first hint of sciatic symptoms may include numbness or tingling in one or both legs, occasional shooting pains, and tenderness in surrounding muscles.