If you have pain in your lower back that radiates down your leg, you may have a condition called sciatica. Sciatica is a symptom of another condition. It can be caused by many things. To best manage this symptom, you first need a proper diagnosis. Once you understand what is causing your sciatica pain, you can play an active role in your care and take steps to avoid aggravating it.
Identification
Your sciatic nerve is the longest one in your body. It starts in the low back. It then runs down the back of each leg and into the feet. If this nerve becomes irritated, you can experience a wide range of symptoms that can be mild to severe. According to the "Journal of the American Medical Association," sciatica tends to occur to those between the ages of 30 and 50. The good news is that 80 to 90 percent of all patients get better on their own.
Symptoms
Pain is the most common symptom of sciatica. It can be dull or sharp. The pain may be just in your low back or it can radiate into the buttocks, down the leg and even into your foot. It usually occurs on just one side of the body. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons states that sitting, sneezing, coughing or moving certain ways may exacerbate your symptoms. If the sciatic nerve is severely compressed, you may also develop numbness and tingling sensations in the hips, leg or foot. If the nerve is damaged enough that signals cannot get through, your leg and/or foot may become weak. This can interfere with walking and other tasks. Since this nerve also carries signals to your intestines, bladder and bowel, function may be affected. The symptoms are in part determined by the injury that is causing pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Causes
The most common trigger for sciatica is a herniated disk, according to the Mayo Clinic. Between each vertebra in your spine are round jelly-filled disks that cushion your spinal column. These disks can push out of place or rupture and compress the sciatica nerve. As part of the natural aging process, your disks dry out, which can allow the jelly-like center to escape and press on nearby nerves. Other conditions, such as one of the many forms of arthritis, can cause physical changes to the vertebra, including a narrowing of the space in between the vertebra or bony growths, or spurs, on your spine. Your spine can be damaged due to an accident. If the muscles in your back become tight, they can irritate the sciatic nerve. In rare cases, pressure on the sciatic nerve can be caused by a tumor on your spine.
Diagnosis
Your physician will do a physical exam, which will include taking a history of your symptoms. Knowing when your symptoms started, what makes them worse and what makes them better can provide clues. Your doctor can order X-rays, MRIs and other scans to see what physical damage or changes are occurring in your back. Your reflexes and muscle strength will be tested. There are also exams that help to determine if nerve signals are able to travel from your back to your feet. Your doctor can use the results from these various tests to diagnose you properly and then decide on a course of treatment.
Treatment
In most cases, sciatica pain responds to conservative treatment. The time needed to heal varies greatly from person to person, but it can take up to six to eight weeks or longer. This may include an initial period of heat, ice and medication to control pain and inflammation. You may need to rest in positions that relieve your symptoms. Your doctor may recommend gentle home exercises or refer you to physical therapy to stretch and relax tight muscles and strengthen the muscles in the back. Both will help take pressure off your sciatic nerve. If your symptoms do not respond, steroid injections deliver medication right to the site of the injury. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, many patients also try chiropractic and acupuncture treatments to help resolve symptoms. Surgery is reserved for severe cases such as when the pain limits your ability to function, when your leg muscles are so weak you cannot walk, or if you have lost bladder and/or bowel function.
