Sciatica Symptoms

Foot Drop Treatments

cmaynard — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 07:33:51 -0700

Treatment for foot drop will vary depending on the cause. Treating the underlying cause as effectively as possible should always be part of the foot drop treatment plan.

Typical treatments for drop foot include:

Foot Drop Diagnosis

cmaynard — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 07:19:57 -0700

When diagnosing foot drop, doctors typically rely on a 0-5 foot mobility threshold, with 0 referring to complete paralysis and 5 signifying complete foot mobility.

As there are many potential causes of drop foot, a doctor must first pinpoint its underlying source.

Diagnosing Causes of Drop Foot

A typical dropped foot diagnostic process includes:

Foot Drop Causes

cmaynard — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 07:03:02 -0700

When learning about drop foot, it should be reiterated that it is a symptom of an underlying condition. Generally speaking, foot drop causes may include:

Muscle damage
Skeletal or anatomical abnormalities affecting the foot
Nerve damage.

Common Drop Foot Causes

Specific causes of foot drop that should be considered may include:

Foot Drop Symptoms, Steppage Gait & Other Warning Signs

cmaynard — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:49:40 -0700

Foot drop typically affects the muscles responsible for moving the ankle and foot upward, specifically the anterior tibialis, extensor hallucis longus and extensor digitorum longus.

With drop foot, these muscles are inhibited from performing several functions during a normal walking stride, including swinging the toes up from the ground at the start of a stride and controlling the foot after the heel is planted near the end of a stride. Consequently, the most recognized foot drop symptom occurs: high steppage gait.

Foot Drop Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

cmaynard — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:28:21 -0700

Foot drop, or drop foot as it may also be called, refers to a weakening of the muscles that allow one to flex the ankle and toes, causing the individual to drag the front of the foot while walking and to compensate for this scuffle by bending the knee to lift the foot higher than usual.

Sciatica

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:53:46 -0800

Definition

Sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve and is typically felt in the buttocks, down the back of the leg and possibly to the foot. Sciatica is typically caused by common conditions including a herniated disc, degenerative disc disease and lumbar spinal stenosis. Sciatica is a descriptive term rather than a diagnosis.

Leg Pain

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:53:07 -0800

Definition

Characterized by aches, numbness, tingling, burning, or weakness, leg pain quite often is not caused by a problem in the leg or foot, but rather by a condition in the lower back. In fact, with many low back problems, there is actually little or no low back pain.

Síntomas y Causas de la Ciática

spine-health — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 09:20:10 -0800

Para alguna gente, el dolor de la ciática puede ser severo y debilitante. Para otros, los síntomas de la ciática pudieron ser infrecuentes e irritantes, pero tienen el potencial de conseguir peores. Generalmente, la ciática afecta solamente a un lado del cuerpo más bajo, y el dolor irradia a menudo de la parte posteriora más baja completamente la parte posteriora del muslo y abajo a través de la pierna. Dependiendo de donde se afecta el nervio sciatic, el dolor y otros síntomas de la ciática pueden también irradiar al pie o a los dedos del pie.

Qué Necesitas Saber sobre Ciática

spine-health — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 09:12:41 -0800

Dolor de la ciática

La ciática del término describe los síntomas del dolor y posiblemente de zumbar de la pierna, el entumecimiento o la debilidad que viajan del de espalda a través de la nalga y traga el nervio sciatic grande en la parte posteriora de la pierna.

Sciatic Nerve Anatomy and Sciatica Symptoms

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:52:48 -0800

Additional Sciatica Info:

Sciatica Symptoms

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:52:48 -0800

For some people, sciatica pain can be severe and debilitating. For others, the sciatica symptoms might be infrequent and irritating, but have the potential to get worse. Usually, sciatica only affects one side of the lower body, and the pain often radiates from the lower back all the way through the back of the thigh and down through the leg.

Comprehensive Management of Piriformis Syndrome and Sciatica Pain

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:51:39 -0800

Depending on the severity of the patient’s sciatica-type pain and other symptoms, a number of treatment options may be recommended by a health care professional. A comprehensive approach to managing pain along the sciatic nerve from piriformis syndrome may include a combination of:

Piriformis Syndrome - Another Irritation to the Sciatic Nerve

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:51:39 -0800

Piriformis syndrome is a condition in which the piriformis muscle irritates the sciatic nerve and causes pain in the rear and may cause pain along the back of the leg and into the foot (similar to sciatic pain). Piriformis syndrome is most common among women, and is thought to be common among active individuals (such as runners and walkers).

Diagnosis of Piriformis Syndrome

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:51:39 -0800

There is no simple diagnostic test for piriformis syndrome causing irritation of the sciatic nerve. The condition is primarily diagnosed on the basis of the patient’s symptoms and on a physical exam.

Symptoms of piriformis syndrome
Most commonly, patients describe acute tenderness in the rear and sciatica-like pain down the back of the leg. Typical symptoms of piriformis syndrome may include: