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What is Sciatica? – Causes and Symptoms
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is a problem of the sciatica nerve. This is a large nerve that starts from the lower back up to the back of each leg. It actually controls our muscles in the back of our knees as the lower leg. It provides feeling sensations to the back of the neck as well as the lower leg and the sole of one’s feet.
Sciatica can be very painful and cause much discomfort. It can be debilitating. What causes it and what are the symptoms?
Causes of Sciatica
- Ruptured intervertebral disk.
- Narrowing of the spinal canal, causing the narrowing of the spinal canal. This places pressure on the nerve known as spinal stenosis or an injury known as pelvic fracture.
Symptoms of sciatica
- Pain down the leg.
- Numbness down the leg.
- Weakness of the foot
- Pain in the buttocks.
- Pain in the thigh.
- Coughing.
- Sneezing.
- Laughing.
- Loss of control or feel of the bowels or bladder (serious condition known as cauda equine syndrome – one has to get immediate medical attention).
The pain of the nerves such as mild ache, burning, sharp or electrical sensations are caused due to the irritation to the sciatic nerve. The symptoms become worse if one sits for a longer period of time. By lying on the irritated area, the pain can get worse or by walking too much.
The pain normally originates in one’s lower back, then goes up to one’s things and then down one’s leg, reaching up to the toes.
Treatment can be in the form of medicines, exercises as well as surgery.
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