Fun Fact Friday #29

Fun Fact Friday #29!

The Sciatic Nerve-

The sciatic nerve is the single longest and widest nerve in the entire body. It runs from the lower back region, through the buttocks, all the way down to the lower leg. It also accounts for the most nerve activity in those regions.

Anything which puts pressure on the nerve can result in sciatic pain. Causes of sciatic injury can include pressure from dislocated skeletal bones such as the disc or hip, pressure on the nerve such as sitting on a hard seat or wallet, pressure from tight surrounding muscles (often the piriformis), or from the weight of the uterus during pregnancy. True sciatica comes from an inflammation of the nerve often caused by a slipped disc or other back injury.

Most often, what you will encounter is not true sciatica, but numbness to the nerve caused by pressure of a tight piriformis muscle, sometimes called false sciatica or piriformis muscle syndrome. If the piriformis muscle is in spasm or locked short it can compress on the sciatic nerve, which will cause pain and tingling along the back of the leg. To distinguish true sciatica from piriformis syndrome, determine where the pain originates. If the pain begins at the lumbar spine, it is likely true sciatica. If the pain begins in the buttocks, it is more likely piriformis syndrome.

Sciatic & Piriformis issues are two of the most common things we see at Growing Pains Wellness. Through massage and stretching we are able to relieve some of the pain if not all of it!

Are you having sciatic or piriformis issues? Book your appointment now so we get help!