Sciatica a common cause of discomfort in back, legs
Q. I am an avid reader of your column, but I have not seen anything about my problem.
When I am standing in line, taking my half-mile daily walk or just about anything that involves standing for more than a few minutes, I get a tingling sensation at the bottom of my spinal cord (in the buttocks area). As soon as I feel this. I know I need to find someplace immediately to sit down. If I don't, the sensation goes all the way down to my toes. If I try to walk, it feels as though I am on marbles, and I never know if my next step will hold me or if I will fall. This has been happening for several years.
I never know when it will happen because it doesn't happen all the time. The only thing that stops the tingling and numbness is to sit down for a few minutes. I have had an X-ray of my spine and was told I have arthritis but that it should not cause the symptoms I am experiencing.
I don't know where to go now or what to do to make this go away. I do not take any medication on a regular basis. Please help!
A. Your symptoms are suggestive of sciatica. This is a relatively common condition of the spine caused by compression of the sciatic nerve that leads to numbness, tingling, burning, a pins-and-needles sensation and other symptoms in the lower back, buttocks and/or legs. Sciatica commonly affects only one leg, but in some people it can affect both legs (sometimes equally).
See an orthopedist who specializes in the spine. He or she can examine and test you to determine the cause of your symptoms. You may need magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This test is more detailed and can show soft tissues such as vertebral discs and muscles. In most cases, back pain is caused by a herniated, bulging or torn disc that allows the vertebrae to touch or compress surrounding tissue and nerves.
If it is sciatica, simple exercises, chiropractic manipulation or physical therapy might be all you need. Because your symptoms occur only occasionally, the degree of compression is probably minimal. However, if your symptoms progress, worsen or become constant, you may need more aggressive therapy, such as epidural steroid injections or anti-inflammatory or pain medications. For severe cases that do not respond to other therapies, surgery may be a last-resort option.
Another cause of your discomfort may be muscle spasm, but, in your case, this appears to be unlikely because of the extent of the tingling sensation. Muscle spasm is often contained to a single area.
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