Sciatica Cheat Sheet | Cheat Sheet

University:
Western Sydney University
Course:
MEDI 3003 | Applied Clinical Sciences
Academic year:

2024
Views:

449

Pages:

2
Author:

Mariam A. A.

Sciatica Pain starts in lower back, travels to leg Follows path of sciatic nerve Causes: Irritation to sciatic nerve or the spinal nerve that feeds it Herniated disc Spinal stenosis Degenerative bone disease, spondylolisthesis, autoimmune disease Pregnancy When sitting Spinal tumor Piriformis muscle syndrome Symptoms: Leg numbness Weakness in leg Burning pain in leg Sharp pain in leg Difficulty walking Difficulty standing up Pain when sitting Pain that worsens with coughing or sneezing Treatments: Rest Over-the-counter pain relievers Physical therapy Steroid injections Surgery Symptoms Sharp leg pain Radiates along middle or lower buttock, outside of the thigh Below the knee, the pain follows dermatome distribution (if S2) Could be sudden Could be slow Typically unilateral Bilateral can occur with central disc herniation, lumbar stenosis, or spondylolisthesis Sensory motor dysf(x) Numbness Weakness Loss of reflexes S1 affects ankle jerk weakness S2 affects knee jerk reflex