What is numbness that runs from the buttock down the leg?

Key points in 30 seconds

1. Bladder or bowel problems, or weakness in both legs, mean go to the emergency room right away.
2. The typical feature is that the leg hurts more than the lower back, with pain running down like a line.
3. Whether it's worse when you walk or when you sit helps decide what to look at first.
4. You can check whether numbness spreads when you raise your leg while lying down.
5. If weakness doesn't improve, we recommend imaging and a surgical consultation.

What we often hear

• "The numbness runs all the way from my buttock down my leg."
• "My leg goes numb at night and I can't sleep well."
• "When I sit, my buttock aches and goes numb."

⚠️ There's something to check first

If you have trouble holding in or passing urine or stool, reduced feeling around the groin, or weakness in both legs, go to the emergency room right away.

A bundle of nerves may be compressed, and in that case time changes the outcome. If you wait, it becomes hard to reverse.

Also, if you can't lift your ankle so your foot drags, or your leg strength is noticeably fading, that's not something to wait on either. See a neurosurgeon or orthopedic doctor first.

What is numbness that runs from the buttock down the leg?

A nerve coming out of the lower back is compressed or irritated, and symptoms appear in the area that nerve serves. The typical feature is that the leg hurts more than the lower back.

It starts at the back of the buttock and runs like a line down the back of the thigh, the calf, and to the top of the foot or the toes. Numb, pulling, tingling, burning — everyone describes it differently.

In medicine, this is called "sciatica." It's a term for a symptom rather than the name of a disease.

Isn't there just one cause?

No. A herniated disc in the lower back is common, but spinal stenosis, a buttock muscle pressing on the nerve, and even joint problems can all show up the same way.

One thing helps tell them apart. If it gets worse when you walk and better when you sit or bend forward, spinal stenosis is more likely. On the other hand, if it's worse when you sit and better when you stand, it's more often a disc.

We don't decide based on this alone. But it helps decide what to look at first.

Is there a way to check at home?

Lie on your back and slowly raise one leg with the knee straight. If numbness spreads along the leg, it's a sign the nerve is being irritated.

A stiff pulling in the lower back or the back of the thigh is different from something shooting down like electricity to the calf or foot. If it's the latter, please tell us.

Don't force your leg all the way up. Trying to check could irritate it more.

How do you treat it?

We reduce the inflammation and tension around the compressed area and create more room along the path the nerve travels. We use acupuncture and pharmacopuncture, and also look at posture and movement.

During the acute period, we don't force stretching. Once it settles, we move on to building the strength that supports the lower back.

If you're taking painkillers, you can keep taking them. There's no need to stop them for our treatment.

What are the limits of this assessment?

If the nerve is severely compressed, it's hard for us to turn it around. If weakness doesn't improve after a few sessions, we recommend imaging and a surgical consultation.

One more note. We don't tell you in advance that "it will get better without surgery." Sometimes the numbness improves but weakness remains, so we watch that part separately.

We start by working out where the numbness begins. Numbness coming down from the lower back and compression around the buttock are treated differently.

If numbness runs from your buttock down your leg, come see us. Finding where it's being compressed comes first.

Results differ from person to person depending on how compressed the nerve is and the cause.