Sciatica: Episode 34

• In this episode: We cover Sciatica as it relates to the general population as well as during pregnancy. We also touch on piriformis syndrome and what “double crush” is.

• Chip Review: Calbee Seaweed & Salt Potato Chips, Huge thank you again to Steve Kovisto

• Trivia question of the week: What 2 US states have their own time zones?

• Follow us on Instagram: 2pts_n_a_bagofchips and/or Twitter @2PTsNaBagOChips to see photos, video and get additional episode specific information throughout the week.

• Thanks for listening!!

In this episode we are going to go over sciatica and will be reviewing the Calbee Seaweed & Salt Potato Chip.

Sciatica, typically people have low back pain and pain in the buttocks. Pain can then extend into the knee or as far as the foot. Following the path of the sciatic nerve distribution. Sciatica affects men and women pretty much equally. It does not have an age range that is really prevalent. You kind of see it across the age ranges. Something that crops up during pregnancy, we will get into sciatica and pregnancy a little later in the episode.

The biggest cause for sciatica is a herniated disk, also nerve root irritation or compression on the nerve. Imaging can be helpful but it does not tell you the whole story. If you have sciatica symptoms and they take an x-ray or MRI and they see something. Don’t panic, don’t freak out. The chances that what is there having just shown up are pretty darn low. Occasionally there can be trauma and sciatic can follow that. But most of the time or a lot of the time this is something that is non-irritable for a period of time. Then something happens and you have symptoms.

There is this thing called “double crush” syndrome. Which means that if you have irritation of the nerve anywhere in your body. But it is not enough to have symptoms. Then you get a second irritation somewhere else along that nerve. Now you get symptoms. With sciatica this is often at the piriformis muscle. Which is right in the center of your buttocks.

Other episodes you might find useful:

 

Upper and Lower Extremity Posture: Episode 8

 

Low Back Pain: Episode14

Hip Pain: Episode 15

Radicular Pain: Episode 22

Greater Trochanteric Bursitis: Episode 28

Pain: Episode 29