Sciatica 101

Sciatic nerve pains can range from irritating to debilitating. Use this guide to discover both sciatica causes and treatments for sciatica now available.

Sciatica causes

The sciatic nerve is the largest single nerve in the body. Sciatica causes pain when this nerve becomes pinched or otherwise irritated. A herniated disc is perhaps the most common reason behind sciatic nerve pains. When the soft inner core of a spinal disc extrudes through the harder outer core – usually due to repetitive stress or injury – this material rubs against and irritates the sciatic nerve where it exits the spine.

Other common sciatica causes include lumbar spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal canal), degenerative disc disease, isthmic spondylolisthesis, piriformis syndrome, and sacroiliac joint dysfunction. While some of these conditions do not cause clinical sciatica, each one pinches or otherwise irritates the sciatic nerve causing similar sciatic nerve pains.

Recognizing sciatic nerve pains

Sciatica causes one or more of these common symptoms, usually on only one side of the body:

·         Pain in the buttocks or back of leg, sometimes starting as high as the lower back or traveling as far as the feet and toes, with worse pain while sitting

·         Burning, tingling, numbness or weakness in the leg or foot

·         Persistent pain in one side of the buttocks

·         Shooting pain down leg while standing

Common Treatments for sciatica

Fortunately for sciatic pain sufferers, most sciatic nerve pains will go away on their own in a matter of days or weeks and cause no permanent nerve damage. Treatments for sciatica range from mild stretching to spinal surgery. Discuss the following sciatica treatment options with your healthcare provider to determine which treatments for sciatica are right for your situation:

·        Heat/Ice – Alternate heat and ice packs for relief of sciatic nerve pains

·        Medications – Over-the-counter NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen can reduce inflammation and ease pain  

·        Spinal manipulation – Manual manipulation and spinal adjustments performed by a chiropractor, osteopathic physician, or physical therapist can help resolve the underlying condition behind your sciatic nerve pains 

·        Physical and massage therapy – Movement, stretching and exercise can provide more sciatic pain relief than rest

·        Epidural steroid injections – Steroids injected directly to the area of inflammation may provide temporary pain relief by reducing inflammation

Spinal surgery – Spinal surgery treatments for sciatica should only be considered after non-surgical options fail; spinal surgery usually attempts to stop nerve pain by removing the material pinching or irritating the nerve

One of the safest, most successful treatments for sciatica involves muscle balance therapy.

Click on this link to learn more about muscle balance therapy.