A pinched nerve in your back can cause severe pain the runs from your lower back and down the back of one leg running from the buttock down the back of the thigh and even into the calf and foot.
Pain from a pinched nerve may begin abruptly or gradually. Usually, it is characterized by sharp, shooting pain that feels a lot like an electrical shock. Moving the leg, back or other part of the body affected by the pinch nerve will often intensive this pain.
Pain from a pinched nerve may be distributed uniformly along the leg, but there often are certain spots where the pain is more intense. This pain is often accompanied by numbness or a tingling sensation along the sciatic nerves, the longest nerve group in the body which run from the lower back and down the back of both legs.
Causes of a Pinched Nerve
A pinched nerve may result from a process which causes pressure or irritation of the nerve roots which make up the sciatic nerve. This pressure can be caused by a variety of factors, including a ruptured intervertebral disc, the narrowing of the bony spinal canal (known as spinal stenosis), or, in rare cases, by in infection or tumor.
The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest in the body, measuring three-quarters of an inch in diameter in adults. It starts in the sacral plexus, the network of nerves located in the lower back (lumbosacral spine).
The sciatic nerve and its branches are what allow movement and feeling –or motor and sensory functions – in the thigh, knee, calf, ankle, foot and toes.
If your sciatic nerve is compressed, or “pinched”, it can cause pain along these pathways. This is the reason pinched nerve pain can spread or radiate to other parts of your body.
Pinched nerve pain may be caused by a bulging or herniated disk, degenerative disk disease, piriformis syndrome, pregnancy, spinal stenosis, a spinal tumor or spinal infection, or by trauma.
Any of these conditions can apply pressure to the sciatic nerve or other related nerve roots located in your lower back. It is this compression, or pinching, that causes your pain and other symptoms.
Gentle, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Treatment and Pinched Nerves
If you are experiencing recurrent lower back pain caused by a pinched nerve, consider seeking treatment from one of our medical professionals. By providing gentle, non-surgical spinal decompression treatment, our team of spinal disc doctors can help relieve the pressure caused by your slipped disc and provide instant relief to your back pain.
If you or somebody you know is suffering from pain as the result of a pinched nerve or another type of lower back pain, we can help. Contact us today for your free consultation.
Our medical professionals can tell you if gentle, non-surgical spinal decompression treatment is a good option for treating your pain.
