The sciatic nerve is a nerve which runs from the lower back region and down through the back of your legs. While it is called "the sciatic nerve," it is actually a complex system of nerves which are about 1 inch each in total length. When sciatica pain is experienced, it is generally the result of one of these nerves being pinched as it leaves the spinal region.
There are many things which can cause your sciatic pain, but the most common causes are:
- Too much pressure being applied to the sciatic nerve - Excess pressure can cause sciatic pain in a relatively short period of time. The sources of this pressure could be muscle strain, bad posture, being overweight, becoming pregnant, or sleeping on a soft mattress. If you may have previous injuries to your back which resulted in a bad or slipped disc, this can also cause severe sciatic pain. More serious conditions, such as a herniated disc or a tumor surrounding a disc on the back can cause horrible sciatic pain as it grows.
- Osteoarthritis - Osteoarthritis, commonly called degenerative arthritis is known to trigger sciatic pain. This can cause sciatic pain because any deformity in the leg bone structure can cause excess pressure to affect the sciatic nerve. This is more common in older individuals as the bones become more brittle. They can also have what is known as spinal stenosis, which is caused by the sciatic nerve being pressured due to the constraining of space around the spinal areas.
The most common symptom of sciatica is a sharp, shooting pain which can travel down the legs and even to the feet. Sciatica pain is never consistent, and it can range minor inconvenient pain to severe excruciating pain. This type of pain only affects one side of the body typically, and if not treated fast enough, can gradually lead to severe neurological disorders.
Sciatic pain can be cured by treating the various causes of the pain. Doctors can provide pain medications or muscle relaxers to alleviate pain. Some patients find good results in exercise so long as it is not overdone. There are various therapies that sciatica patients can enroll themselves in to fortify the muscles in the lower back and abdominal regions which will cause the symptoms of sciatica to eventually go away.
No comments:
Post a Comment