Introduction
A sciatic nerve is a longest nerve in the human body which starts at nerve roots in spinal cord and extend up to the lower limb. Sciatica pain can be a result of irritation of this nerve due to compression. Herniated disk, bone spur and spinal stenosis are the common causes of irritation of this nerve which may result in sciatica pain. Most of the time sciatica affects only on one side of the body. The common symptoms of sciatica include inflammation, pain that starts from low back and goes down towards knee and numbness in affected leg. Generally sciatica pain is confused with normal back pain but it is not a medical condition but symptom caused due to other underlying conditions in your lower back. Treatment for sciatica depends upon its causes and severity of the pain associated with it.
Causes of sciatica pain
1. Herniated disk
Disk herniation is a commonly observed cause of sciatica pain. A disk between vertebrae starts to lose water content as you aged. This loss of fluid makes a disk weak and vulnerable to herniation. A herniated disk tends to leak inside gel based content which causes direct pressure on spinal region that causes sciatica pain.
2. Spinal stenosis
Various nerve roots of spinal cord join to each other and pass through a passage which is known as ‘neural foramina or spinal passage’. Spinal stenosis is a condition in which this spinal canal gets narrow due to degeneration of the vertebrae. Such a decrease of space can place pressure on spinal nerve which can convert to sciatica pain.
3. Piriformis syndrome
A piriformis is a name of muscle present in the buttock region. The irritation caused due to pressure of piriformis over sciatic nerve is called as piriformis syndrome. This is sometimes responsible for sciatica pain.
4. Infection or injury
Sciatica pain can also be a result of injury, infection or inflammation to the sciatic nerve due to any accident or heavy load.
5. Other factors
1. Age
Generally people start to experience sciatica pain at their 30s and 40s. This is due to the changes occurs in the shape of spinal canal due to conditions like herniated disk and bone spur.
2. Profession
Some profession demands lifting of heavy loads, sitting at one place for longer duration, etc, this can stress your disc and cause sciatica pain.
3. Obesity
Obesity is also a notable factor which is responsible for sciatica pain. Excess body weight put some extra pressure on the disc which leads to the change in spinal region. These changes can be a reason of sciatica pain.
4. Diabetes
Diabetic person are at higher risk to develop sciatica pain as diabetes affects the way our body utilizes blood sugar which can lead to nerve damage.
Signs and symptoms of sciatica pain
- Pain that generate from lower spine extends to buttock region and goes to back of the legs
- Feeling of numbness in the leg
- Discomfort in any of the part of nerve pathway
- Burning sensation or feeling of electric shock in affected area
- Tingling sensation in affected leg or foot
How to deal with it
Self care treatments
1. Bed rest
A proper bed rest is ultimate therapy for every health related issue. In case of sciatica pain, physician may recommend you short duration rest as per your conditions. You should always avoid excess rest if you are suffering from sciatica pain as too much rest may weaken the muscles supporting the spine.
2. Applying ice or hot pack
Application of cold pack helps to reduce the back pain and swelling while hot pack promotes the blood circulation necessary for rapid healing. Using cold and hot pack alternatively will provide you considerable relief if you are suffering from severe sciatica pain.
3. Exercises and stretching
Practicing few exercises may prove helpful to deal with the situation. Having unnecessary belly fat is a primary reason of sciatica pain in people. This excess fat creates pressure on sciatic nerve which further result into pain. Exercises like stretching, cardiovascular exercise etc provide necessary strength to the spinal region to prevent any further damage.
2. Physical therapy
The purpose of physical therapy is to minimize the pressure on sciatic nerve with the help of some specially designed exercises under the guidance of experts. These exercises help to regain natural posture of the spine along with minimizing discomfort.
3. Alternative therapies
Some effective alternative therapies include yoga and acupressure, spine manipulation and massage. These therapies works well to manage pain and to minimize it. For desired result it is always suggested to perform these theories with the help of professionals only.
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