A form of pain commonly experienced by most people at some point in their lives, Sciatica can also be a persistent source of discomfort for many people. There are, however, useful treatment and exercise programs that can be pursued to help sufferers limit or eliminate the pain associated with the condition.

Though often thought of as a medical condition or disease, Sciatica is, in fact, set of symptoms, as opposed to an actual condition or disease. Sciatica results in a host of symptoms, including: pain in the back, and numbness, weakness or tingling in the legs and back.

The presence, type and duration of the symptoms vary considerably. Some patients experience sharp pain; others report that kind of pain along with burning. Sciatic can also present as a dull kind of achy pain, and it is often found with tingling in the extremities. Generally, speaking the pain is limited to one side of the body, but it can be quite severe, and bad enough to prevent liberal movement. Generally, the pain worsens over time, and can be quite mild in the beginning.

Sneezing and coughing can give rise to the pain, and pain can be experienced after sitting or standing for long periods and when bending. Pain is also sometimes associated with walking. At its most extreme, Sciatica can lead to loss of movement and sensation in the leg.

The causes of sciatica

There are numerous causes of sciatica. Generally speaking, symptoms are the result of damage to the sciatica nerve, located in the back of the leg, which controls the muscles located in the back of the knee and lower leg.

The nerve is also responsible for sensation in the lower leg and bottom of the foot. Sciatica usually results from pelvic injury, pirifomis syndrome, degenerative disc disease, slipped disc, and spinal stenosis. It can also be a result of tumors.

Sciatica Treatment

Given its common occurrence and persistence, many people wonder how to treat sciatica. Many effective treatments have been developed over the years to combat the pain, and help provide the patient a path for building a body more resistant to that pain in the future.

However, before treatment begins, it is best to determine the underlying cause of the symptoms, and treat those causes. Oftentimes, only the pain is addressed, and while there are obvious merits to this, without treating the underlying causes, the pain is likely to return. Also, once these underlying issues are addressed, treatment for the Sciatica itself might not be necessary.

The more conservative in nature – such as chiropractic manipulation, sciatica exercises, stretching and pain management – are generally recommended in cases where there has been no proximate trauma, lack of degeneration of the nerve axon, no movement difficulties and where the onset was rather sudden.

Surgical treatments are used as well. Surgeons can remove lesions that pinch the nerve, such as occur with a ruptured disc.

Both over the counter and prescription medications are used to control pain, with the severity of the pain dictating the strength of the pain medication. Other medications used to treat the symptoms include steroids (used to reduce swelling), antidepressants (used to deal with chronic pain). Physical therapy is also used to help patients restore muscle strength and flexibility lost during periods where acute pain has prevented exercise.

Doctors might also recommend patients wear splints, braces, orthopedic shoes, etc that will help their bodies compensation for any lost movement or impaired function. Occupational therapy is also recommended in some of the more serious cases as well.

Diagnosis of sciatica is done in number of different ways. Typically, doctors will conduct an initial examination of the neuromuscular function of the legs to look for weakness in foot movement or knee mobility. They will also look for abnormal reflexes, and they might have the patient lift the leg while on the table to check for pain; pain with this motion is often associated with Sciatica.

X-rays, MRIs and like diagnostics often used in this process as well. Detecting the underlying cause of the Sciatica pain can be an arduous process, given the wide number of problems that can lead to the symptoms, but these types of imaging technologies can help uncover the underlying cause of the problems.

Treatment is usually effective when the underlying cause is identified; however, diagnosis and treatment can also take time. This is especially true in cases where function has been greatly undermined. And, unfortunately, pain can be present for the duration of time it takes to arrive at a diagnosis and conduct the treatment program.

Of course, the best way to treat Sciatica is on a preventative basis. This can involve some lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise and stretching are also advised. Making sure that you are not sitting in one position for a long period of time can also help prevent the conditions that cause sciatica. Maintaining a good body weight can also be important in forestalling the onset of symptoms. Many of the sciatica’s underlying conditions are caused by excessive wear on joints and discs; the heavier the body, the greater the pressure that is exerted on those joints and discs.

back to articles