Basics symptoms How Do You Know You Have Sciatica?

Sciatica is a problem that all dread. It causes a kind of impairment that renders you helpless. Also, it is not easy to detect it. But, there have to be signs and symptoms that mark the presence of sciatica. Before consulting a physician, one needs to do some self assessment to form an information base for further consultation. So, you need to know that sciatica is not a disease; it is also a symptom. Some other common signs or symptoms that indicate the presence of sciatica are numbness in the feet, unusual sensations, weakness and improper reflexes. Let's see the details.

It is an improper nerve impulse that indicates any kind of back problem; it serves as a warning to all back ailments. When we talk about sciatica, the impairment of the nerve impulses is not felt at the site of injury but at the area that is the domain of the injured nerve. This would typically be all along the leg up till the foot. So, it is evident that numbness is an indicator of sciatic pain.    

An unusual or strange sensation which in medical terminology is known as Paresthesia is another symptom of sciatica which is totally opposite of numbness. Paresthesia is of various kinds like tightness of the muscles, shocking pangs of pain, a feeling of pins and needles at the back of the thigh and the like. So, together with numbness it becomes one of the major clues indicating sciatica.

The reflexes of the body that are a response to the external stimuli are controlled by the brain and the spinal cord. For instance, the blinking of eyes is a reflex in response to the expected danger to the eyes and there are other reflexes for the protection of the skeletal muscles. Also, if you tap the patellar tendon below the knee, it would make the quadriceps femoris muscle to stretch and in response to this a reflex would cause the muscle to acquire its original position. What happens is improper reflexes cause damage to the sensory nerves leading to injury and therefore sciatica.

Coming to weakness as a symptom of sciatica, it is usually a state in which the body has lesser control and agility in the lower part. For example, one might experience difficulty in making a transition from sitting to standing or vice-versa. It might also get difficult to stand on the toes or a person may otherwise feel weak in the lower limbs and feet.

The last indicator is the sciatic nerve itself and the area it dominates i.e from the lower back to the feet. Any pain felt in this area could be due to sciatica. The above mentioned are not the only symptoms of sciatica, there could be others too but these are the basics ones.