Can A Leg Injury Cause Sciatica

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The sciatic nerve is one of the body’s major nerve paths which runs down from the lower back in to the legs. While most sciatica symptoms are caused from compressed discs or a trapped sciatic nerve in the lower back, they can also be caused by leg injuries.

A compressed sciatic nerve can quickly bring about some of the most common sciatica symptoms. Fortunately, most cases of sciatica will heal themselves fairly quickly over a short period of time. If the pain does not go away however, it does mean that treatment will be required.

It is often asked whether or not a leg injury can cause sciatica. A lower leg injury is unlikely to cause any real sciatica symptoms. However an injury affecting the thigh or hips does carry a much greater risk of sciatica.

Sciatica is not a disease, or ailment, in itself. It is more a description for a set of symptoms, the most prominent of which is pain or irritation of the lower back, leg or foot. The irritations can include weakness, numbness, tingling, pins and needles, or even a burning sensation.

Many people suffer symptoms such as these after a severe ...
... leg injury. The sciatic nerve can become trapped if a leg bone is damaged, or the knee is injured. Fortunately most leg injuries will heal themselves quickly and the sciatica will heal relatively fast.

When sciatica is caused by a trapped sciatic nerve in the spine or hip, treatment can be a little more complicated. Fortunately trapped nerves in these areas will also tend to heal themselves over time.

Due to a large number of medical issues which can cause the symptoms of sciatica, the diagnosis of the true cause can often be difficult. Finding the cause will often involve a CT scan, or even an MRI scan.

In most cases diagnosis of the cause is unnecessary, as the pressure on the nerve will usually relieve itself naturally.

If the sciatica does not dissipate naturally over the course of two weeks it often becomes necessary to diagnose the location of the problem. In the case of a leg injury this is often fairly easy to do, however sometimes a full MRI or CT scan is required to find the precise location of the problem.

Treatment of sciatica varies depending on the problem, however most treatment centers around chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy, exercise and anti-inflammatory medication. These treatments are usually highly effective and non-intrusive, and will work in nearly all cases of sciatica which have not naturally dissipated.

On some occasions a doctor may recommend surgery. The surgery is relatively risk free, and has a fairly fast recovery period. Surgical complications arising from relieving the sciatic nerve are rare, and are more to do with infection than any dangerous surgical manoeuvres.

Sciatica is a common ailment which can be caused from issues as varying as a fractured hip, to simply sitting on a wallet in your back pocket too often. The majority of sciatica cases will naturally dissipate, and fortunately the cases which do not disappear naturally can be treated safely!