| Leg numbness is one of the neurological | | | | known as piriformis syndrome, in which the sciatic |
| symptoms often associated with sciatica. There | | | | nerve is theorized to be compressed by the |
| are many possible sources of numbness in the | | | | powerful piriformis muscle deep within the |
| legs and all conditions should be thoroughly | | | | buttocks anatomy. |
| investigated by a qualified physician to insure that | | | | Subjective numbness is most often the result of |
| the patient is not suffering from some potentially | | | | a non-structural process, such as regional ischemia. |
| serious health crisis, such as a circulatory disorder | | | | This oxygen deprivation syndrome is at the heart |
| or diabetic condition. Unfortunately, many | | | | of many chronic back pain conditions and is |
| numbness conditions tend to either defy diagnosis | | | | certainly the root source of many sciatica |
| or are misidentified as to the actual causative | | | | nightmares. Ischemia can be anatomical and linked |
| condition sourcing the symptoms. This is par for | | | | to circulatory issues, but is usually enacted by the |
| the course when discussing any of the usual | | | | mind-body processes. In my experience, the |
| symptoms of sciatica... | | | | majority of treatment-resistant sciatica |
| Leg numbness comes in 2 distinct symptomatic | | | | syndromes are caused by oxygen deprivation, |
| expressions. The first and less common is | | | | which helps explain why they do not respond well |
| objective numbness. This type of symptom is | | | | to medical care, complementary medical care or |
| defined as a numb feeling which can be verified | | | | virtually any accepted treatment option, except |
| medically and proven through diagnostic testing. | | | | knowledge therapy. |
| The leg will not only feel numb; it will actually be | | | | While this objective versus subjective symptom |
| sensory deprived, as well. The more common | | | | guideline is helpful to remember when diagnosing |
| type of sciatica numbness is called subjective | | | | the source of numbness, it is not absolute. There |
| numbness. In this expression, the leg will feel | | | | are some structural issues which may only enact |
| numb, but testing will reveal no actual numbness in | | | | subjective numbness, although these conditions |
| the skin, nerves or muscles involved. This | | | | are usually transitional and typically improve |
| objective versus subjective symptomatic | | | | without any dedicated treatment. There are also |
| comparison is very important in many sciatica | | | | extreme cases of objective numbness caused |
| conditions and can also be applied to weakness | | | | completely by a powerful psychogenic process. In |
| conditions, as well. | | | | the case of both subjective and objective |
| Objective numbness will usually be indicative of a | | | | numbness caused by a mind-body issue, structural |
| structural issue in the lower back, or sciatic nerve | | | | scapegoats are often located via diagnostic |
| anatomy, which has affected nerve activity, | | | | testing and usually take the blame for pain. It may |
| leading to decreased functionality. The most | | | | take the patient year's worth of failed therapies |
| common cause of this phenomenon is a herniated | | | | and maybe an unsuccessful surgery or two to |
| lumbar or lumbosacral disc which compresses a | | | | repudiate the diagnosis and finally realize the |
| spinal nerve root or the entire cauda equina | | | | reason for their pain, tingling, numbness or |
| structure. The second most common cause is an | | | | weakness all along... This is the saddest aspect of |
| identical compression issue enacted by an arthritic | | | | life as a sciatica sufferer. The fact remains that |
| osteophyte complex enacting foraminal or spinal | | | | despite advances in medical care, the present |
| stenosis in the lumbar spine. Other possible spinal | | | | back pain industry is still burdened by |
| reasons for weakness in the legs can include | | | | misinformation, antiquated theories of pain and the |
| extreme spondylolisthesis or scoliosis, as well as | | | | illogical Cartesian medical philosophy which has |
| failed back surgery syndrome. Non-spinal reasons | | | | proven itself to be so incredibly ineffective at |
| for numbness are usually linked to a condition | | | | dealing with chronic pain of any type or location. |