Sciatica Pain – Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Sciatica or sciatic nerve related pain affects people who work more than those who don’t. This is due to the very fact that people who work strain themselves – they stand for long hours, sit indefinitely, bend in the wrong way or exercise with the wrong technique among other causes. This condition seems to affect more men than women but growing older is one factor which hits anyone and everyone. Though you can get better with rest, this strategy doesn’t work well for everyone. Let us learn more about the causes, symptoms and available treatment options at present in more detail.

What Triggers Sciatica?

The sciatic nerve travels down from the spinal cord via the buttocks to each of the legs till the knee where they again split up to form all the innervations needed till the toe. Though it has been called the longest nerve and the thickest one in the body, it is actually composed of multiple nerve fibres which travel as one unit. This also means that you can have pain or other symptoms starting from your back all the way down to the toe. Some common causes of sciatica include being pregnant, diabetic, having spinal stenosis, any tumorous growths that can press down on the nerves, arthritis, hernia of the discs, cauda equina syndrome etc. among others. Pain is normally observed due to wear and tear of the ageing body but if you do not engage your core well or if you have to lift heavy stuff regularly or even sit for long hours, then your lower back is at a lot of risk. But many cases of sciatica can arise due to unknown reasons.

Chronic Sciatica Pain – Symptoms and Long-Term Treatment

The symptoms all translate to different kinds and degrees of pain – like tingling pain or needles pricking you or even burning pain too. This happens whenever you cough, sneeze or laugh too hard or when you bend to pick something up. Your limbs may also begin to feel numb while muscle weakness can also be observed at times. With very severe sciatica, there is urinary and bowel incontinence too.

Long term treatment is geared towards managing pain and associated symptoms in a sensible manner. You can try to rest and get better at home but if that does not work, then the doctor may prescribe pain medication, some form of physical therapy that can help reduce pain or stiffness, corticosteroid injections or even massage as a form of therapy. Recently, biofeedback therapies are being used increasingly with good results.

How to Relieve Sciatica Pain at Home Naturally

You can always use heat packs or ice compresses for the pain. Some OTC medication like NSAIDs like ibuprofen may be used. But medication may not always work well. Stretching regularly and with the right technique like in yoga has really helped many people with sciatica.

Conclusion

Sciatica can be painful and with chronic pain, managing daily activities can get harder. The treatments always treat symptomatic pain, so the degree of severity matters. But many people tend to put off getting help as they think it will just go away with some rest and ice. While this may be true for minor cases, it is not the same for severe cases. It is mostly preventable with good posture, proper weight management and rest along with quitting any consumption of tobacco. Also, recovery is mostly a given, unless it is so severe that treatment requires surgery. The takeaway is just this- watch out for symptoms and get it sorted soon by a doctor.