Sciatica is an overarching term for pain down the back of the leg and is not your diagnosis it’s a symptom that will lead you, with your therapist, down the road to a diagnosis.
There are lots of things that can cause the pain and it’s important for the clinician to really understand the history and experience of the patient as part of the process of an accurate diagnosis.
This episode looks at some of the many conditions that have pain down the back of the leg
and why an individual accurate diagnosis based on the evidence is so important for the patient to ensure the best opportunity for recovery.
 
KEY TAKEAWAYS

Sciatica is an umbrella term for pain down the back of the leg
A good health care professional will begin by looking in-depth at your history and experience
Specific questioning will help to rule out certain conditions and this will be followed by testing
There is a therapeutic value in the professional explaining what they are doing when they are doing it.
Radiculopathy is a change in function with pins and needles and a burning sensation
Meralgia paresthetica is characterized by tingling, numbness and burning pain in the outer part of the thigh and is caused by compression of the nerves.
If you have pain in the back of the legs and pain that intensifies when walking it could be peripheral artery disease. Arteries become narrow and the pressure of the blood causes pain.
When you stop exercise, it should improve if you have sciatica the pain will be there constantly.
The sacroiliac joint can give a similar pain to sciatica but it is quite rare.
Referred pain is when the pain you feel in one part of the body is a result of pain in a different area.
If you rapidly increase your running exercise regime you may experience specific pain at the top of the hamstring
There are many crossover points between different conditions but all of the conditions have pain down the back of the leg in common
Professionals should always be evidence-based and accurate so people have the best opportunity to recover. Giving the person control over their condition will help them to move forward with recovery

 
BEST MOMENTS
‘Sciatica means different things to different people’
‘It’s important your clinician explains what they are doing and why’
‘A good health care professional will let the patient tell their story’
 
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ABOUT THE HOSTS
Dave Elliot
Dave is the owner of Advanced Chiropractic, a chain of Chiropractic and massage therapy clinics in Essex, UK. Dave still sees patients during the week but has been working hard to talk to as many experts in the field of back pain as possible to help distil all the information and bring it to you in this awesome podcast. You can find Dave on any of the Advanced Chiropractic social media platforms, or you can contact him at hello@thebackpainpodcast.com if you have any questions for him.
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Rob Beaven
Rob owns and runs a multidisciplinary clinic, The Dyer St Clinic in Cirencester Gloucestershire. His team of Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths, Doctors and podiatrists all collaborate on thousands of back pain patients every year. Alongside Dave, he has worked hard to bring to the table experts across all industries to give you the low down on back pain, with steps you can implement today to start feeling better.
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