Reviewed By:
Kent C Doan, MD (Orthopedics)
Dr Doan Graduated from the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine and completed residency training in Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Colorado. He completed additional fellowship training in Orthopedic Sports Medicine at the prestigious Steadman Clinic and Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail, Colorado. He is a practicing Orthopedic Surgeon who specializes in complex and revision knee and shoulder surgery at the Kansas City Orthopedic Institute. He also holds an assistant professorship at the University of Kansas City.
Tomohiro Hamahata, MD (Orthopedics)
Dr. Hamahata graduated from the Jikei University of Medical Science. After working at Asanokawa General Hospital and Kosei Chuo Hospital, he joined the Department of Orthopedics at Asakusa Hospital in April 2021, specializing in general orthopedics and joint replacement surgery.
Content updated on Apr 4, 2024
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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Nerve pain in the leg
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Sciatica
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Sciatica describes a painful sensation that starts from lower back and travels or shoots down the leg. This pain may travel down the back or outside of the leg and is often described as shooting. It refers to pain in the distribution of the sciatic nerve
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
Generally, Sciatica can be related to:
The sciatic nerve is responsible for muscle control and sensation of the leg. Sometimes, it can be compressed by the piriformis muscle in the buttocks. This can result in symptoms that are often similar to a slipped disc or nerve compression in the spine.
Also known as a slipped disc, this condition is characterized by injury to the cushioning discs between the spinal bones in the lower back (lumbar vertabrae) that causes the disc to bulge outward or rupture. The disc bulge puts pressure on adjacent nerves, which causes pain, leg weakness, or numbness. Poor posture, exercising with incorrect form, or occasionally benign non-lifting movement are some possible causes of this disorder.
Ankylosing spondylitis is an chronic inflammatory arthritis that affects the joints in your spine. Although the cause is unknown, certain genetic factors are believed to be involved.
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
NHS
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sciatica/Maslak, Joseph P. MD; Jenkins, Tyler J. MD; Weiner, Joseph A. MD; Kannan, Abhishek S. MD; Patoli, Daneel M. MD; McCarthy, Michael H. MD, MPH; Hsu, Wellington K. MD; Patel, Alpesh A. MD, FACS. Burden of Sciatica on US Medicare Recipients. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 28(10):p e433-e439, May 15, 2020. | DOI: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-19-00174
Reviewed By:
Kent C Doan, MD (Orthopedics)
Dr Doan Graduated from the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine and completed residency training in Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Colorado. He completed additional fellowship training in Orthopedic Sports Medicine at the prestigious Steadman Clinic and Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail, Colorado. He is a practicing Orthopedic Surgeon who specializes in complex and revision knee and shoulder surgery at the Kansas City Orthopedic Institute. He also holds an assistant professorship at the University of Kansas City.
Tomohiro Hamahata, MD (Orthopedics)
Dr. Hamahata graduated from the Jikei University of Medical Science. After working at Asanokawa General Hospital and Kosei Chuo Hospital, he joined the Department of Orthopedics at Asakusa Hospital in April 2021, specializing in general orthopedics and joint replacement surgery.
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