Sciatica and Absent knee jerk reflexes

Sciatica is a soreness of the sciatic nerve, with sharp shooting pain and soreness along the nerve distribution in the hip, the back of the thigh and down into the leg. Usually, these pains are not constant but are produced suddenly and painfully by movements which stretch the nerve itself. These movements are straightening the knee, flexing the hip, or bending the ankle upward.

Because sciatic pain frequently is due to compression of the nerve within the spine, actions which suddenly increase this pressure on the nerve also produce the leg pain. So, coughing, sneezing, straining at bowel movement, and lifting heavy objects often bring down the lash of sciatic pains.

In diagnosing sciatic pain, the physician always considers the possibility of a slipped disk injury between the vertebrae, which is a common cause of sciatica, along with arthritis of the spinal column. After a diagnosis of sciatica has been made by the physician, surgical removal of an injured disk of the spine, or correction of spinal deformity may be indicated. Treatment for arthritis, or treatment of the sciatic nerve itself are also possibilities.

Absent Knee Jerk Reflexes. Tapping the tendon of the hanging leg just below the knee cap should cause the leg to kick forward slightly. This happens because the tap slightly stretches the thigh muscles, which respond automatically with a quick contraction. This response is called the knee jerk reflex and is usually present under all circumstances. Absence of the knee jerk reflex frequently indicates diseases such as pernicious anemia, thyroid disease, or disease of the spinal cord or brain itself. Only on rare occasions are knee jerks absolutely absent in healthy individuals.