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Spine Surgery
Sciatica
What Is Sciatica ?
 Sciatica is a painful condition that affects the lower back and the leg. When the sciatic nerve becomes irritated, sciatica leads to pain that is typically felt on just one side of the body. Besides discomfort, sciatica is known to cause numbness in the affected regions of the body, as well as trouble with controlling the leg.
When a person has sciatica, pain radiates from the lower back down to the thigh, extending downward to the back of the calf. In some cases, pain from sciatica flows upward as well, affecting the hip, and back down toward the foot. For many affected individuals, pain from sciatica is enough to impair the performance of everyday tasks.
Sciatica is a symptom of a problem with the sciatic nerve, a large nerve that runs from the lower back down the back of each leg. It controls muscles in the back of your knee and lower leg and provides feeling to the back of your thigh, part of your lower leg and the sole of your foot. When you have sciatica, you have pain, weakness, numbness or tingling. It can start in the lower back and extend down your leg to your calf, foot, or even your toes. It's usually on only one side of your body.
Anatomy Of The Formation Of The Sciatic Nerve
The sciatic nerve is formed from the L5 and S1 nerve roots in the spinal canal and the union of these nerves becomes the sciatic nerve in the pelvis. The sciatic nerve continues through the pelvis into the buttock and back of the upper thigh to the back of the knee where it splits into nerves coursing into the calf.
Causes Of Sciatica
The most common of the causes of sciatica inflammation involves a herniated disc. It is important to understand here that each vertebral disc in the back is made up of a very tough outer layer of cartilage and a more elastic central area.
As the age increases, these disks end up degenerating and becoming much thinner and weaker over time. Especially when you are putting a lot of pressure on this area for extended periods of time, this can result in causing cracks in the outer layers of the disks, thereby allowing the central mass to squeeze out.
The bottom line is that one of the main causes of sciatica inflammation then is herniated discs in the lumber or sacral regions which put pressure on the sciatic nerve and result in causing pain and discomfort.
Sciatica Symptoms
The most common symptom from sciatica is pain. Most people describe a deep, severe pain that starts low on one side of the back and then shoots down the buttock and the leg with certain movements.
- The pain is usually worse with both prolonged sitting and standing. Some people describe the worst pain when trying to stand from a low sitting position, such as standing up after sitting on a toilet seat.
- In most people, the pain is made worse by sneezing, coughing, laughing, or a hard bowel movement. Bending backward can also make the pain worse.
- You may also notice a weakness in your leg or foot, along with the pain. The weakness may become so bad you can't move your foot.
Exams and Tests
Sciatica is a clinical diagnosis. In other words, the doctor will be able to make the diagnosis based on your medical history, a physical examination, and your description of your symptoms. If you have had sciatica for only a brief time and you have no sign of any other diseases, no lab studies or x-ray films may be needed.
- If the pain has been present for several weeks, you may get special studies of your back-either CT (computerized tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans.
- If you have a history of cancer, HIV infection, IV drug use, or you have been taking steroids over a period a time, the doctor may want to see plain x-ray films of your back or a bone scan.
Sciatica Treatment
Self-Care at Home
Pain from sciatica will probably limit your activities. Here are some ways to ease the pain at home.
- Do not bend, lift, or sit in a soft, low chair-your pain will get worse.
- Unless you are allergic or should not take them for other reasons (if you take a blood thinner such as Coumadin, for example), over-the-counter pain medicines such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin (Bufferin or Excedrin), or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) will probably help ease the pain.
- Try a cold pack to see if it helps the pain. If you don't have a cold pack, use a large bag of frozen vegetables; it makes a good first aid cold pack. Or have someone close to you massage you in a triangular pattern with an ice cube over the sore areas. The person should move the ice cube if your skin gets too cold (this may melt several ice cubes).
- After the cold massages, try alternating with heat from an electric heating pad to see if it helps the pain. (Do not sleep with a heating pad on your back. It could cause a bad burn.)
- If you don't have an electric heating pad, put a hand towel under hot water, wring it out, and place it on your back. Some physical therapy experts believe that moist heat penetrates more deeply and gives better relief of pain. (Do not use wet packs with your electric heating pad because electrical shock may result.)
- You may feel better lying on your back on a firm surface with a pillow under your knees. Another option is lying on your side with a pillow between your knees to keep your back straight. Also, you might find that a recliner chair is helpful.
- Take it easy, but do not lie in bed for longer than 2 days because this has been shown to actually worsen the condition. Do activities you are able to tolerate, and do not expect to feel better overnight.
Sciatica surgery
Sciatica surgery is a drastic treatment option typically recommended to patients with severe sciatic nerve pain who have not found lasting relief from more conservative therapy modalities. Spinal surgery, no matter how minor, is never a small undertaking. There are always risks and potential complications, as well as the possibility of failed sciatica surgery syndrome.
Sciatica is a term which refers to a burning, stinging, and/or numbing pain that is felt in the buttock, thigh, leg, and/or foot; it may or may not be associated with low back pain.
In layman's terms, sciatica is caused by a pinching and/or irritation of one of the three lowest lumbar nerve roots that make up the giant sciatic nerve. Any pinching / irritation of these delicate nerve roots may not only may cause lower back pain but may also ignite the entire sciatica nerve into a pain state!
For more information, medical assessment and medical quote
send your detailed medical history and medical reports
as email attachment to
Email : - info@wecareindia.com
Call: +91 9029304141 (10 am. To 8 pm. IST)
(Only for international patients seeking treatment in India)
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