Those with hip and leg pain may also have Sciatic Nerve Endometriosis

In Pain That Starts in the Hips and Calves and Strikes Down to the Sole of the Foot During the Menstrual Period, Sciatic Nerve Endometriosis Should Definitely Come to Mind

The likelihood of the condition called sciatic nerve endometriosis occurring is quite low when all endometriosis cases are considered. However, when this condition appears it causes serious complaints and affects the person’s quality of life negatively. Sciatic nerve endometriosis, a quite rarely encountered type of endometriosis which is seen in approximately 10% of women of reproductive age, refers to the involvement of endometriosis, also known as chocolate cyst, in the region close to the pelvic bone and is a problem characterised by leg pain.

The sciatic nerve can generally be defined as the longest and thickest nerve in the human body. The sensations occurring in areas such as the back of the thigh, the knee, the back of the calf and the sole of the foot are carried by means of the sciatic nerve. Some foot and leg muscles are also stimulated by this nerve. Endometriosis formations, or chocolate cyst by its better-known name, can, even if rarely, attach to the part of this nerve that remains inside the abdomen. And as a result of this attachment, the problems that occur as a result of the pressure created on the sciatic nerve appear. If the patient’s history is not listened to carefully and the details are not examined, it is quite difficult to understand that the problem has occurred due to endometriosis.

Sciatic nerve endometriosis can cause symptoms similar to both chocolate cyst and a slipped disc. Involvement of the sciatic nerve can lead to the appearance of symptoms such as pain in the legs, a feeling of numbness, pain in the sole of the foot, tingling and muscle weakness, as happens with a slipped disc. Menstrual period pain, which is characteristic of endometriosis, is also among the symptoms. However, the most important detail that needs to be paid attention to here is that the pain, tingling and numbness occurring in the legs and the feet intensify during the menstrual period. This is because, since the pressure on the sciatic nerve will also increase during the menstrual period due to the increased inflammation in the endometriotic tissue, the symptoms are expected to appear much more severely.

Following a comprehensive examination, this problem can be diagnosed by taking a detailed MRI. As a result of surgical intervention carried out by neuropelveologists who specialise in nerve surgery of the groin region, almost all of the symptoms people experience disappear and the person returns to her normal life comfortably. It should not be forgotten that in cases where treatment is delayed, the problem of foot drop and being left disabled in walking may occur as a result of permanent damage to the nerve.