Sciatica is simply a pain that runs from the lower back down the leg, often into the foot and toes. It is brought on by an inflammation of the sciatic nerve induced by a compression.
Some people dealing with sciatica also can experience a burning, tickling or prickly sensation, normally on one side of the body. The type and level of pain a person experiences depends on the specific location of the nerve compression.
In some cases the pain may be very minor, while in others it can be incapacitating and severe. The majority of people will recover from an episode of sciatica within a few weeks, the pain can sometime worsen over time or persist for much longer. Everything hinges on the underlying root cause.
Sciatica plus Nerve Destruction
Though it is rare, in some instances sciatica can bring about permanent nerve damage. But the irritation of the nerve that triggers the sciatica pain usually is reversible.
Symptoms of a more dangerous medical issue include bladder or bowl incontinence, growing weakness, or the loss of sensation in the leg.
Where Exactly the Sciatic Nerve is Situated
Sciatic nerves are the longest in the body. They stretch out from the lower back all the way down to the toes.
Sciatic nerves leave the spine between two vertebrae in the lower back and travel behind the hip joint down the buttock and along the back of each leg into the foot.
Sciatica is caused by the irritation of one or both of these particular nerves. Typically, a herniated disk puts pressure on the sciatic nerve root.
In many cases, people suffering from sciatica have leg pain, which makes them incorrectly think that the sciatica is due to some sort of problem within the leg.
Other causes of sciatica can include spinal tumors, spondylolisthesis, trauma, spinal stenosis, or sciatic nerve tumor or injury.
Anybody Can Have Sciatica
Most people think that sciatica is something that just effects people who have a sedentary lifestyle. And while it’s correct that sedentary people are more susceptible for sciatica, it in fact can affect active people as well, especially if they participate in activities that involve twisting the back or carrying heavy weights often.
In most cases, sciatica will resolve itself within a few weeks. Therapy options include exercise, physical therapy. For some patients, however, the pain can last much longer, so individualized therapy plans are recommended.
Sciatica Treatment Solutions
Another more natural and less invasive sciatica treatment option is , non-surgical spinal decompression treatment. By gradually decompressing the involved spinal disks pressure on the sciatic nerve can be eased and the pain from sciatica can disappear.
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