Sciatica and Knee Pain: Can Sciatica Cause Knee Pain?

If you have knee pain but no traceable cause, chances are you have sciatica leading to your nerve pain in the knee.

Wait! Can sciatica cause knee pain? Is that true?

Well, it is true and sciatica does cause knee pain. In fact, sciatica nerve pain in the knee can last for more than six weeks in chronic cases of sciatica.

Now you may ask what can be the cause of sciatica knee pain? Well, a pinched nerve in the knee is the most obvious cause of knee pain. But mind you, it’s not necessarily sciatica!

However, there are several ways to manage knee pain from sciatica. We will learn them all in this article. So, buckle up!

Can sciatica cause knee pain? What is the link between sciatica and knee pain? How do we treat the knee nerve pain arising from sciatica?

Let’s find out!

Can Sciatica Cause Knee Pain

If you have sciatica and knee pain at the same time, you may wonder, can sciatica cause knee pain?

And if you can’t figure out any other cause of knee pain, this question may pop up several times in your mind.

Sciatica is the pain that arises from the lower back due to a pinched nerve. The pain travels down to the thigh, knees, and legs along with numbness and tingling sensations.

Now to talk about sciatic pain in the knee specifically, it can get hard to determine whether the knee pain is arising from sciatica or there is some other reason.

The easy way to figure that out is to observe the pain in the lower back, buttocks, or thighs.

Note: The nerve pain in the knee that arises from sciatica is always associated with back pain and numbness.

Moreover, knee pain sciatica can be unilateral or bilateral depending on which side of the nerve is compressed.

Now there are several causes of sciatic nerve pain in the knee. Knowing the cause will make it easy for you to determine whether sciatica is the reason behind the knee pain or not.

What Causes Sciatica Knee Pain

It’s clear by the above discussion that sciatica can cause knee pain. However, since there are various reasons for the knee pain itself, ruling out sciatica as a cause of knee pain might slip one’s mind.

Note that if there is no pain in the lower back but an independent nerve pain in the knee, then, in this case, sciatica is not the cause of your knee pain, as already stated above.

Let’s first highlight the main causes of knee pain in general:

• Overusing the joint muscles
• Putting excessive stress on knee joint ligaments and tendons.
• Iliotibial band syndrome affecting the lateral side of the knee.
• Patellofemoral pain syndrome of the knee cap causing Runner’s knee.
• Trauma to the knee
• A pinched nerve in the knee
• Arthritis

How can sciatica cause knee pain? Let’s now look at the causes of knee pain from sciatica:

Herniated Disc

A bulging or herniated disc is the most common cause of sciatica. It leads to the compression of the nerve root anywhere from L4 to S3. The most common is the pinching of the nerve in the L4 region known as L4 radiculopathy.

This bulging of the disc may result in direct compression of the sciatic nerve or indirect compression by inflammation.

However, whatever the route it takes, you will experience nerve pain in the knee along with back pain.

Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis is yet again one of the common causes of sciatica, hence, leading to sciatica knee nerve pain.

Lumbar stenosis is the narrowing of the lumbar spinal canal resulting in pinching of the nerve roots. This then eventually results in sciatic nerve knee pain symptoms.

Degeneration of Spinal Tissues

Degeneration, be it with age or due to any other reason, affects both hard and soft tissues.

It is the dislocation of synovial joints between the vertebrae leading to leakage of the synovial fluid. The consequence is inflammation of nearby tissues. This will then irritate the sciatic nerve resulting in sciatica symptoms.

Hamstring Tightening

Tightening of the hamstring is another probable cause of sciatica knee pain. The tightening of hamstring muscles (on the back and internal side of the thigh) results in instability of the spine.

This will then stress upon the spinal nerve, thereby, leading to sciatica.

Note: It’s not that hard to remember the cause of knee pain from sciatica. If you know what causes sciatica, you will easily remember the causes of sciatica knee pain.

Symptoms of Pinched Nerve in Knee

Note that a pinched nerve in the knee can mimic the symptoms of sciatica pain in the knee. This is why it’s important to know the causes and associated signs and symptoms of knee nerve pain.

Following conditions can cause a pinched nerve in the knee:

• Crossing the legs
• Fracture
• Joint dislocation due to trauma or any injury
• Knee-high boots
• Squatting for a long time
• Prolonged bed rest
• Tumors or cysts

If you have a pinched nerve in the knee, you will experience the following symptoms:

• Nerve pain in the knee, leg, and dorsum of the foot as these parts are supplied by the peroneal nerve which runs in the knee.
• Sensory and motor loss in the areas supplied by the same nerve.
• Most importantly, there is an inability to dorsiflex the foot. Hence, the patient experiences difficulty in walking.
• Burning sensations
• Numbness and tingling

Note: Try to visit a doctor as soon as possible. This is because if your nerve stays compressed for more than two weeks, it can lead to permanent muscle wasting.

Now let’s look at the commonest symptoms of a pinched nerve in the lumbar spine leading to knee pain:

• Weakness in the knee
• Knee spasms
• Burning, sharp, or dull ache in front, on the sides, and behind the knee.
• Numbness, pins, and needle-like sensations
• Limitations inability to lift the weight on the knee
• Inability to straighten or extend the affected knee
• Buckling of the knee
• You will also notice a change in your gait

Sciatica and Knee Pain – Treatment Options

Now that you know how sciatica can cause knee pain, let’s learn about the different ways to treat sciatica knee pain.

Sciatic nerve and knee pain have a connection one way or another.  However, it’s not always necessary for both sciatica and knee pain to coexist. But if that happens, it’s a nightmare for the one suffering through it.

But the question is, what can you do to get rid of the nerve pain in the knee caused by sciatica?

Well, we have bulleted down different treatment options for you to minimize your knee pain sciatica. They are as follows:

• Physical therapy
• Exercises and knee-pain stretches
• Yoga and meditation for mental stability
• Medications for temporary pain relief
• Anti-steroids to reduce inflammation
• A knee brace for support
• Surgery in severe cases

Note: Surgery is the last resort for treating knee pain sciatica. You may want to consult with your doctor and therapist before opting for surgery.

FAQs

Conclusion

Can sciatica cause knee pain? It’s now easy to answer this question. And sadly, the answer is yes! Sciatica can cause knee nerve pain.

So, now you know the interlink between sciatica and knee pain. The causes of sciatica and knee pain are almost similar.

Note that knee pain is not always caused by sciatica. Similarly, sciatica does not always cause knee pain.

We have discussed everything about knee pain sciatica and how sciatica can cause knee pain. Hopefully, it’s all clear to you. Remember, every knee pain is NOT sciatica!