When the sciatic nerve is inflamed, it can cause numbness, tingling, and/or pain in your lower back, buttocks, and thigh all the way down into the foot. The pain may be only part way down one leg, or both legs. In some cases, any movement at all such as standing or walking - even coughing- will create a surge of pain, numbness or tingling.

The sciatic nerve can become inflamed or irritated in various ways: by an inflamed joint which is often caused by a misalignment in your spine; by a disc irritation (bulge or herniation); or by direct pressure to the nerve itself from muscle spasms (typically the piriformis muscle).

It is important to determine the source of the irritation as this will help choose the best course of treatment. For certain sciatic conditions an MRI is necessary to determine the source of pain. Custom-made, flexible orthotics align and support the structures of the feet in a near normal physiological position, to prevent dysfunction, and to improve the function of the feet in motion.

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