Sciatica is a painful condition affecting the lower back and leg caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve. Diagnosis involves physical examination and medical history, and treatment includes medication, physical therapy, and surgery. Pregnancy can also cause sciatica.
Sciatica is a painful condition that affects the lower back and leg. Experienced when the sciatic nerve becomes irritated, sciatica leads to pain typically felt on only one side of the body. In addition to the discomfort, sciatica has been known to cause numbness in the affected regions of the body, as well as problems with leg control.
When a person has sciatica, the pain radiates from the lower back up the thigh, extending down to the back of the calf. In some cases, the pain from sciatica also courses up, affecting the hip, and down into the foot. For many affected people, the pain is enough to impair the performance of daily activities.
As the largest nerve in the human body, the sciatic nerve has a huge range, extending from the lumbar spinal cord all the way down the leg. Often, this nerve becomes irritated due to pressure from a herniated disc. Symptoms can be caused by anything that inflames or irritates the sciatic nerve. Such irritation can result from internal bleeding and infection, as well as pressure from the bones in the region. Injuries and muscle spasms can also lead to sciatica.
This condition is quite common during pregnancy. In the final months of pregnancy, the weight of the uterus can put pressure on the sciatic nerve. Changes in posture can lead to pregnancy-related sciatica as well. In some cases, muscle tension, commonly experienced during late pregnancy, may be enough to trigger a bout of sciatica.
A diagnosis simply recognizes the symptoms that are present. It doesn’t specifically address what’s causing the painful condition. In order for a diagnosis to be complete, it must discover the cause of the irritation to the sciatic nerve.
To diagnose it, a doctor typically performs a physical examination and learns the patient’s medical history. X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans may also be used in the diagnosis. Correct diagnosis is very important, as treatment may be incomplete or unsuccessful if the causes of sciatic nerve irritation are not discovered.
Treatments vary depending on the cause of the nerve compression. They may include anti-inflammatory and pain medications, physical therapy, and surgery to relieve sciatic compression. Chiropractic manipulation and steroid injections may also be used.
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