Sciatic pain radiates from your hip or back and extends the length of your leg, making walking painful. A variety of conditions can cause the nerve compression responsible for triggering sciatic pain. Although rest is often all that is needed to relieve sciatica symptoms, your doctor may recommend surgery if your condition does not improve with conservative treatment.
Identification
The sciatic nerves carry nervous system signals from your spine to the back of your legs. These signals control muscle movement in your legs and feet. Gel-filled discs fill the space between each vertebra in your back and provide cushioning for your spine when you move. If the covering of a disk herniates, or tears, it presses against the sciatic nerve, causing pain and other symptoms. Although a herniated disc is the most common cause of sciatica, nerve compression can also occur if the spinal column begins to narrow, a tumor develops on the spinal column or you experience an injury or fracture.
Symptoms
In addition to pain, you may also experience numbness, weakness, burning or tingling down the back of the affected leg. Symptoms may be felt in the foot, in some cases. Sciatica may also feel like a bad cramp that lasts weeks, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The pain usually occurs in just one leg and may affect one part of the leg, rather than the entire leg. You may notice that your symptoms are worse at night, after you sit or stand, when walking, coughing or sneezing, or if you bend backward.
Treatment
Doctors recommend several days of bed rest as the first step in treating sciatica pain. Your doctor may suggest that you take over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers and prescription muscle relaxants to decrease inflammation. If pain continues, your doctor may suggest a cortisone injection to the spine to relieve inflammation that may be worsening pain. When these treatments don't help, surgery might be needed. Doctors usually only perform surgery when the compressed nerve causes significant weakness, bowel or bladder incontinence or progressively worsening pain, reports the Mayo Clinic. During surgery, doctors cut away the part of the disk compressing the sciatic nerve. If narrowing of the spinal column causes sciatica, your doctor may surgically remove a portion of the vertebra to enlarge the spinal canal. You may also need surgery if you have a tumor or if bone fragments from an injury are pressing against the sciatic nerve.
Home Care
When sciatica symptoms first occur, applying ice or cold packs to your back and leg can help relieve pain and inflammation. Switch to a heating pad or hot pack after using ice or cold packs for two or three days. When pain subsides, begin stretching exercises and low-impact exercise, such as swimming. Stretching can be helpful in relieving some of the pressure on your spine, while exercise can help you strengthen the core muscles supporting your back. Your doctor may refer you to a physical therapist, who will instruct you in proper techniques for stretching and exercising.
