Understanding Sciatica: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment What is sciatica? Sciatica refers to back pain caused by a problem with sciatic nerve, which is a large nerve that runs from the lower back down the back of both legs. When something injures or puts pressure on this nerve, it causes pain in the lower back that extends to hips, buttocks and legs. Symptoms: The most typical symptom of sciatica is lower back pain that extends through the hip and buttock and down one leg. The pain usually gets worse when you sit, cough, or sneeze. The leg may also feel numb, weak, or tingly at times. Causes of sciatica: 1. Pregnancy most people who get sciatica are between the ages of 30 and 50. Women are more likely to develop the sciatica problem during pregnancy because of pressure on the sciatic nerve from the developing uterus.
2. Herniated Disk Disks act like cushions between the vertebrae of your spine. These disks get weaker as you age and become more prone to injury. Sometimes the gellike center of a disk pushes through its outer lining and presses on the roots of the sciatic nerve leading to sciatic pain.
3. Spinal stenosis Natural wear and tear of the vertebrae can lead to a narrowing of the spinal canal. This narrowing, called spinal stenosis, may put pressure on the roots of the sciatic nerve. 4. Piriformis syndrome The piriformis is a muscle found deep inside the buttocks. It connects the lower spine to the upper thighbone and runs directly over the sciatic nerve. If this muscle goes into spasm, it can put pressure on the sciatic nerve, triggering symptoms of sciatica.
5. Injury or infection Other causes of sciatica include muscle inflammation, infection, or injury, such as a fracture. In general, any condition that irritates or compresses the sciatic nerve can trigger symptoms.
6. Sciatica treatment and relief There are many techniques and medications used for sciatic nerve pain relief namely: •
Hot and cold packs
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Medication
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Stretching
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Injecting steroids
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Surgery
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Sciatica rehab