Numbness down the leg is an extremely common symptom I see in clinic. A great number of patients will say “l have sciatica”. Is it, though?
First off, let’s define sciatica. Sciatica is when the sciatic nerve becomes pinched somewhere along its pathway.
It’s important to add here, there are many nerves that go down the leg… AND…
There are many causes of numbness down the leg,
Although Sciatica is common, there is a more common possibility – and that is, a pinched nerve in the lower back from OSTEOARTHRITIS.
Osteoarthritis, or OA, is perhaps the most common diagnosis I see in clinic. In the lumbar spine, 40-85 % of the aging population have some degree of OA.
Let’s lay down a definition for OA. In between the spinal vertebrae, there are spongy discs that are the shock absorbers for the body. When these shock absorbers degenerate, the disc space slowly disappears and the vertebral bones start rubbing on each other (bone on bone). When this happens, it stimulates the bone to create more bone – and eventually, bone spurring occurs. As you can imagine, bone that isn’t supposed to be there can cause all sorts of blockages in the body,
Further, with a lack of healthy disc space, the spinal cord and spinal nerves are in jeopardy of becoming pinched or narrowed. If the spinal cord becomes pinched, we call that central canal stenosis. If one of the nerves that exits the spinal canal becomes pinched, that is termed “lateral recess stenosis”.
Either way, stenosis (a narrowing of a nerve), can cause numbness, tingling, and decreased strength in the leg and foot.
We have manual tests to check which nerve is pinched, but these are not 100% accurate. The best course of action if you have these symptoms, is to ask your doctor for medical imaging to properly diagnose the condition.
In the meantime, I can help you release the surrounding muscles to help free myofascial restrictions that may be making the numbness and tingling worse. I use a combo of Acupuncture and Manual Therapy to free the affected nerve.
Whether it’s OA or Sciatica, numbness and tingling needs to be evaluated and treated promptly. Proper diagnosis is key! 🔑
Osteopathy and Acupuncture by Monica Ander in Nelson BC 