Condition Guide - Sciatica

Contents

Guide to Sciatica

What Is Sciatica?

  • Sciatica is a general term for any inflammation of the sciatic nerve
  • The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, running from the lower back all the way down to the knee

Sciatica Symptoms

  • Pain might occur anywhere down the sciatic nerve, from the lower back, buttocks, thigh or knee
  • The pain can feel like a burning, electric shock or pins and needles. Rarely it might also feel like hot / cold / numbness or other symptoms because the nerves are sending incorrect signals to the brain
  • Pain can be anywhere from mild to severe and can change on a daily basis
  • Pain is also dependent on mood, general health, lifestyle factors, etc.
  • Pain is normally worse in the first few weeks

Causes of Sciatica

  • Sciatica is typically caused by issues with the discs in the spine, typically a herniated (slipped) disc.
  • There are lots of other potential causes, again generally affecting the discs in the spine. These include spinal stenosis, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis. It can also be caused by an infection.
  • Sciatica generally affects people in middle age

Diagnosing Sciatica

  • It is difficult to tell whether pain in the lower back, hip, buttocks or knee is due to sciatica or another cause and requires a physical therapist to make a diagnosis
  • People might diagnose themselves and say that any pain in those areas is “sciatica” in the same way that people think that any elbow pain is tennis elbow. Conversely they might think they just have “a bad back”, “a bad knee” etc. without realising they have a chronic and diagnosable condition
  • Sciatica is generally diagnosed by a physical therapy exam, involving performing simple exercises such as walking on tiptoes while the therapist examines muscle strength and reflexes and asks you about your pain level
  • In rare cases further tests such as an X-Ray or MRI might be required. This is typically for people who have had sciatica for some time without it responding to treatment, to look for causes which cannot be revealed with simple palpation.

Sciatica Treatments

  • Sciatica will often clear up on its own but it’s different for everyone. In the same way that one person’s sciatica pain might be mild and another’s severe, one person’s sciatica might go away on its own after a few weeks whilst another person’s might last a long time.
  • Many people use painkillers to help ease their symptoms or just wait for sciatica to go away
  • There is little a doctor can do for you except provide painkillers and advise on lifestyle factors
  • Lifestyle factors such as staying fit and healthy and getting more exercise and rest can help with sciatica
  • Getting more exercise and moving can help with general bodily alignment and strength, which can help avoid issues such as disc problems and trapped nerves
  • Physical therapy can help with the underlying problem with the discs which is causing the sciatica. The therapist can improve spinal alignment, relieving pressure on affected nerves and reducing pain at its source.

Condition Page Sections

See general condition page structure re Condition Page Task List

What Is Sciatica?

  • Brief introduction to the condition, sciatic nerve, etc

What Causes Sciatica?

  • Run through causes of sciatica

What Are The Symptoms of Sciatica?

  • Run through causes of sciatica

Do I Have Sciatica?

  • Run through causes of sciatica

Should You See a Doctor for Sciatica?

  • Run through causes of sciatica

Do I Need a Scan for Sciatica?

  • Run through causes of sciatica

Self-Care for Sciatica

  • Run through causes of sciatica

Exercises for Sciatica

  • Run through causes of sciatica

Sitting / Sleeping / Living with Sciatica

  • Run through causes of sciatica

Sciatica and Pregnancy

  • Run through causes of sciatica

Treating Sciatica with Painkillers

  • Run through causes of sciatica

How Is Sciatica Treated

  • Run through causes of sciatica

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