Have you ever had back pain that has radiated down the back of your leg? Sometimes this can be related to irritation of the large sciatic nerve that exist from between the vertebrae of your lower back, through your glute region, and down the back of your leg to your foot.
The sciatic nerve originates from a bundle of several nerves that exit at the lumbar spine then come together to travel down the back of your leg. It's main function is in supplying sensation and strength of each leg.
If the sciatic nerve has become irritated in some way, the most common symptoms folks will experience will be pain, tingling, numbness, most often traveling from the low back and glutes, past the back of the knee, sometimes to the ankle and toes. These symptoms are typically one-sided and can be worsened or relieved by postural changes, such as sitting or lying down.
The "Slump test" is commonly used by medical providers to assess for the presence and degree of irritation of the sciatic nerve. If you're more a visual person, check out this video on my Instagram for a tutorial, or see below for written instructions.
How to perform the slump test:
Sit up tall on a chair and and put your hands behind your back
Extend one leg straight out in front of you
Point the toes of your outstretched back toward your nose
Adopt a slouched position by allowing your back to round
Tuck your chin to your chest
Bear down
The sciatic nerve can become irritated at each step of this test, so for example, if your symptoms are recreated in step 2, then there is no need to continue through to step 6. This test is considered "positive" if it recreates the leg pain, numbness, or tingling you've been having. In addition to the specific details of your symptoms and the results of the Slump test and others, we can assess for the degree of irritation to the nerve and come up with a plan from there.
I struggled with sciatica for years, and after trying different providers, products, and exercises, I took it upon myself to solve the program once and for all. It only took 8 years, two Bachelor's degrees, a doctorate, and thousands of hours of continuing education... and I'm still learning.
I know you might feel like you've tried everything, but I promise you there is more you can do, and you don't have to feel like this forever. Send me a message, email, or set up a discovery call to see if we're a good fit to finally deal with your pain, once and for all.
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