Sciatica

Sciatica is a type of pain caused by the irritation or inflammation of the sciatic nerve. It is usually caused by a compressed sciatic nerve in the lower spine.

Cause

Sciatica happens when the sciatic nerve becomes pinched by a herniated disk in your spine or by an overgrowth of bone (bone spur) on your vertebrae. Sometimes the nerve can be compressed by a tumor or damaged by a disease such as diabetes.

Risk factors

There are some risk factors to develop sciatica-like age-related changes in the spine such as spinal stenosis. Spondylolisthesis. Obesity by exaggerating the strain on your spine. Sciatica may also occur during pregnancy a job that requires you to twist your back, carry a heavy load or drive a motor vehicle for long periods. Prolonged sitting or sitting in an awkward position or on your wallet. Diabetes. Or neuritis.

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the human body running from the spinal cord through the buttocks and down each leg right below the knees.

Symptoms of Sciatica

Common symptoms of sciatica are pain that originates in the spine and radiates down the back of your leg, sciatica typically affects only one side of the lower body. Pain areas are in the back, buttock, hip, or lower extremity. Pain type can be mild, severe, radiating, or sharp. Tingling in the leg, Numbness or burning sensation in the leg and feet, and lower limb muscle weakness.

Treatment of Sciatica includes

TENS & Ultrasound, it will relieve pain and also reduce inflammation.

Thermal and cryotherapy.

Stretching of lower back and hip muscles such as leg raise stretch for hamstring, fire log poses stretch, piriformis muscle stretch.

Strengthening exercises such as core strengthening exercise, spinal extension exercises for strengthening of lower back muscle, bridging.

McKenzie exercises.

Deep tissue massage.

Dry needling.

Biofeedback.

In chiropractic treatment, a physiotherapist does spinal adjustment (manipulation) to treat restricted spinal mobility.

Yoga such as cat-cow pose, standing forward pose, head to knee in a long sitting pose,
Prevention of sciatica is to keep the load close to your waist, avoid twisting your back or leaning sideways, if you have to move a heavy object across the floor it’s better to push not pull it.