You have a nerve that goes from your lower back down both of your legs. This nerve is called the sciatica, and if you have a healthy back, then you may never have a reason to learn about this nerve. However, should you end up aggravating your back in a way that causes inflammation around the nerve, or if you have an injury such as a bulged disc, then you can quickly and painfully be introduced to this nerve. When you have an injury that is causing you to experience sciatica, then you want to learn as much as possible about this condition, and the information below will help to educate you.
What does sciatica feel like?
When you have back pain that's caused from irritation, pinching, or pressing on this nerve, the pain can feel like a tight and painful pulling sensation, a very painful stinging, or even a sharp and piercing ache. You can feel the pain of this condition on one side or the other, depending on where the injury is.
You can also feel the pain to varying degrees. You can experience the pain in the gluteus maximus area alone. Or, the pain can radiate down a bit from this starting point, and it can even go all the way down the entire length of your leg all the way to your foot.
You can experience more than pain when you are suffering from this condition. Sciatica can also lead to feelings of numbness or tingling down your leg, possibly all the way down to your foot. This numbness or tingling can happen at any point in the leg and/or foot and doesn't necessarily have to affect much of an area. You may also find that sciatica can lead to leg weakness.
What can you do to relieve sciatica?
Since sciatica is caused by the nerve itself, there isn't much you can do to treat it until the nerve heals or is no longer pinched or pressed on. However, even when caused by a herniated disc, there will be good times and bad times. When you are experiencing symptoms, you may get some relief through anti-inflammatories as well as by using ice packs.
There are some stretching exercises that you can do to help you to free your sciatic nerve from some of the pressure or pinching that it's under. You can lie on your back, put a belt under both your feet, and then slowly lift the belt so that it brings your feet slowly up toward your chest. Do this a few times and hold the position for a minute each time. This may not give you immediate relief, but can help you feel better sooner.
Share4 September 2019
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