Care2 Healthy Living/Zoe Blarowski: What is Sciatica?

Care2 Healthy Living | What is Sciatica?
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What is Sciatica?
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Up to 40 percent of people are expected to experience sciatica at least once in their life. Sciatica is pain caused by irritation to your sciatic nerves, which run from your lumbar spine, through your buttocks, and down the backs of your legs. The pain can feel like a bad leg cramp, or an excruciating, shooting pain that makes standing or sitting difficult.
What causes sciatica?

Sciatica is actually a symptom of other conditions. It’s estimated that about 90 percent of cases of sciatica are caused by a herniated (slipped) disc in your spine.

Your spinal discs are made of cartilage and they act as cushions between your vertebrae. A herniated disc is one that’s temporarily pushed out of place. It then puts pressure on the root of your sciatic nerve.

A few other conditions that may cause sciatica include:

    Piriformis syndrome – when the piriformis muscle in the buttocks becomes tight or spasms, putting pressure on the sciatic nerve.
    Spinal stenosis – narrowing of the spinal canal, which squeezes the sciatic nerve.
    Spondylolisthesis – a slippage of the vertebrae that narrows the opening where the sciatic nerve exits the spine.
    Spinal tumors – these may compress the sciatic nerve.
    Infection within the spine.
    Injury to the spine.
    Cauda equina syndrome – a rare condition that affects the nerves of the lower spinal cord.

medically accurate illustration - painful sciatic nerve

Sciatic Nerve
What are some of the symptoms?

The most common symptoms are shooting pains anywhere along your sciatic nerve, including the lumbar spine, buttock, back of your leg, and sometimes your feet and toes. These are typically only on one side of your body.
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The pain can be mild to severe and can increase when you stand, sit or cough. It may develop suddenly or gradually. You could also experience numbness or tingling along the nerve, or a pins and needles sensation.

Sciatica can be either acute or chronic. Acute sciatica may last up to 8 weeks at a time and often goes away completely within one or two years. Whereas, chronic sciatica has flare ups that last over 8 weeks and often needs more intensive, ongoing treatment.
Are you at risk of developing sciatica?

Herniated discs, the primary cause of sciatica, are more common in people over the age of 30, and men get them twice as often as women.

Additional factors that could increase your risk of sciatica include:

    Age – sciatica is most common in those 45 to 64 years old
    Height – risk has been shown to increase as your height increases
    Smoking
    Mental stress
    Strenuous physical activity – such as frequent lifting, bending, and twisting
    Driving –the vibration of the whole body can put you at risk

Can you prevent sciatica?

Some causes of sciatica are not preventable, but you can take steps to keep your back healthy and prevent unnecessary strain or injury that could put you at greater risk.

Use proper lifting techniques. Always lift with your back straight, knees bent in a squat and keeping objects close to your chest as you rise.

Include exercises that strengthen your back and abdominal muscles, which help support your spine. It’s also important to keep good posture while sitting and standing to reduce any pressure on your lower spine.

In addition, it can be helpful to avoid or quit smoking, and make sure to get up and move regularly during any long periods of sitting.
How is sciatica treated?

If you suspect you have sciatica, check with your doctor to confirm the diagnosis and decide on the best course of treatment.

Sciatic pain will often subside on its own, so treatment of sciatica often focuses on managing the pain until it clears up naturally.

Research shows it’s usually best to stay active and continue your daily activities. A few hours of bed rest may provide some relief, but it’s not shown to speed up recovery.

Physical therapy may help ease the pain by strengthening back and abdominal muscles to support the spine, which will reduce pressure on the sciatic nerve.

Other therapies like chiropractic care, acupuncture, yoga and massage, can provide some relief as well.

You can also speak to your doctor about pain medications. There are a few different options for sciatica treatment. Surgery to correct the conditions that cause sciatica is another option.
Related Stories:

    Relax Tense Muscles Without Pain Killers
    13 Herbs and Spices That Can Reduce Inflammation
    5 Foods and Herbs That Eliminate Stubborn Pain


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307 comments
Kara Walmsley
Kara Walmsley5 minutes ago

Thanks
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Sarita Elman
Sarita Elmanabout an hour ago

In a freak accident, I broke my pelvis in 2 places on the left side almost eleven weeks ago. On my fifth and last day in hospital, I was pulled from bed and made to walk for some sort of physiotherapy. The upshot: sciatica on the side (leg) opposite the pelvic break. I suffered excruciating pain for weeks, until I was treated with a diminishing dose of inflammatory medication over the course of 12 days. With the help of exercise and weekly physiotherapy as well, I am now able to walk with greatly diminished pain, although one foot is still numb. Hope for the future.
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Brad H
Brad Habout an hour ago

thanks
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Victoria P
Victoria Pabout an hour ago

Tnank-you
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Ruth G
Ruth G1 hours ago

Useful information on different causes.It would be also useful to know what quantity to take of these natural anti inflammatories to take to actually make a difference.
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maria r
maria reis2 hours ago

Thanks.
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Christine D
Christine D2 hours ago

I have suffered from sciatica before but I found that staying mobile helped. Yoga and chiropractic adjustments were my go-to therapies. I would absolutely avoid surgery and instead of pharmaceutical pain killers, I would opt for natural anti-inflammatories such as ginger and turmeric. I like to drink ginger tea and add turmeric to as much of my food as possible.
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M Q
M Q2 hours ago

Good article, thank you.
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John W
John W2 hours ago

TYFST
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Cathy B
Cathy B2 hours ago

Thank you for reposting.
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view all 307 comments
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