What You Need to Know About Sciatic Nerve Pain

What You Need to Know About Sciatic Nerve Pain

Also known as sciatica, sciatic nerve pain is the pain in the lower extremity that is a result of the irritation and inflammation of the sciatic nerve. As the largest nerve in the body, the sciatic nerve begins from the nerve roots found in the lumbar spinal cord in the lower back that extends through the buttocks area to send nerve endings to the lower limb. The pain and tenderness in this condition is normally marked along the course of the nerve through the leg and thigh. Patients with sciatica feel pain that starts in the lumbar area (lower back) that extends down behind the thigh and radiates down below the knee.

The primary cause of sciatic nerve pain is a herniated lumbar disc that directly presses on the nerve causing the irritation and inflammation of the sciatic nerve. Another cause of this condition is the Piriformis syndrome. The sciatic nerve can be compressed and becomes irritated once a short and tight piriformis muscle is stretched. A short and tight piriformis muscle can affect the sciatic nerve since it extends from the side of the sacrum to the top of the thigh bone at the hip joint and passes over the sciatic nerve in route. Other causes of sciatica are the irritation of the nerve from adjacent bones, infections, tumors, internal bleeding, and injury. And sciatica can also occur if the sciatic nerve becomes irritated during pregnancy.

The common symptoms of sciatic nerve pain are numbness, tingling, or a burning sensation that radiates from the lower back and upper buttock and extends down the back of the thigh and leg. This result to pain felt in the leg and can sometimes transform into hip pain that radiates around the hip or buttock. Though this condition is often associated with lumbago or low back pain, sciatica can be present without pain in this region. For the risk factors of this condition, an action as simple as bending over can cause sciatic pain. And standing, sitting, straining, and lifting may aggravate this.

Sciatica is diagnosed through physical exam and review of medical history. Knowing the typical symptoms and performing certain examinations help health care practitioners determine whether a patient is suffering from this condition. Medical examinations like X-rays, CT scan, MRI scan, and electromyogram are used to further define the causes of sciatica.

The primary treatment for sciatic nerve pain is rest that allows the inflammation of the sciatic nerve to subside. To ease pain, various medications like muscle relaxant and analgesics are prescribed by doctors to patients suffering from this condition. Sometimes, anesthetic agents are injected in the area around the spinal cord to alleviate pain. Other treatments are physical therapy under the supervision of a doctor or therapist and soaking in warm baths helps soothe and ease pain. For severe cases, surgery may be required.

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