Multiple sclerosis and sciatica can exist side by side or have overlapping symptoms. The sciatic nerve begins at the lower back, then through the hips into the buttocks, and separates into both legs into the feet. Sciatica is a type of pain caused by a compressed/pinched or damaged/injured sciatic nerve. The sensation radiates across the nerve with frequency and severity at varying levels, depending on the individual’s body position and/or movement. Individuals with multiple sclerosis can also experience sciatica, believing it’s their multiple sclerosis. Neuropathic pain is a common symptom in multiple sclerosis or MS. It is caused by injury or damage to the nerves of the central nervous system and can cause burning, or sharp, stabbing sensations.
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MS is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the protective layer around nerve fibers known as myelin. This affects the central nervous system pathways that regulate feeling and sensation in the body. It can cause painful sensations that include:
An autoimmune response does not damage the sciatic nerve’s pathway, but an added stress/pressure compresses the sciatic nerve. The pain is usually caused by a quick, jerking, twisting, bending, reaching motion that pinches or twists the nerve. Herniated discs and bone spurs are another common cause, along with being overweight can place intense pressure on the sciatic nerve. The critical difference is that multiple sclerosis causes the central nervous system’s signaling pathways to malfunction.
Most individuals, around 40%, will at some point experience some form of sciatica symptoms. This is from age, and all the wear and tear the low back goes through daily. This is why it’s not unusual for individuals with MS to experience sciatica as well. MS can cause body changes that affect activity levels.
It can be challenging to figure out the types of pain being experienced. Sciatica travels down the length of the nerve uniquely and is often felt in only one leg. The pain, tingling, numbness, electrical sensations can present only in the lower back, the buttock, the back of the leg, hamstring, calf, and foot, or in a combination of all the areas. Treatments for sciatica depend on the severity. They include:
It can be easy to mistake sciatica as a symptom or related condition of multiple sclerosis. Chiropractic can help alleviate sciatica, and although treatment cannot directly treat MS or its symptoms, it can relieve pain and discomfort.
Diabetic nephropathy or diabetic kidney disease is the result of mismanaged diabetes. Kidney failure is a severe medical emergency and can be fatal if not treated. Chronic low kidney function results in:
Common symptoms of diabetic kidney disease include:
Jende JME, et al. (2017). Peripheral nerve involvement in multiple sclerosis: Demonstration by magnetic resonance neurography. DOI:
10.1002/ana.25068
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2019). Sciatica.
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sciatica/symptoms-causes/syc-20377435
Murphy KL, et al. (2017). Chapter 4: Neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis—current therapeutic intervention and future treatment perspectives.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470151/
Pain and itching. (n.d.).
nationalmssociety.org/Symptoms-Diagnosis/MS-Symptoms/Pain
Samson K. (2017). In the pipeline-multiple sclerosis neurography, MRI reveals peripheral nerve lesions in MS patients. DOI:
10.1097/01.NT.0000527861.27137.b0
Sciatica: Of all the nerves. (2016).
health.harvard.edu/pain/sciatica-of-all-the-nerve
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