Sciatic Pain

 You might have heard people talk about having sciatica and have wondered exactly what this is. The sciatic nerve is the largest single nerve that travels from the lower back down the back of the leg on each side of the body. Sciatica is the symptoms that normally accompany a bulging disc adding pressure to the sciatic nerve. This pressure can cause weakness, tingling, numbness and pain but normally it is only in one leg.

Many people who have sciatic pain can get better over time with the use of non-surgical treatments. This can take anywhere from a couple weeks to a few months or so. There are those that cannot find relief in this manner and can be severely debilitated by the disorder. The medical term for sciatica is “radiculopathy.” This literally means that a disc is bulging from its natural position and adding pressure to the radicular nerve that makes up part of the sciatic.

What many people do not realize is that sciatica is not really a problem in and of itself. It is the symptoms that are evidence of a deeper issue. This means that by only treating the pain of sciatica you are avoiding the root cause and thereby allowing the problem to reoccur with time. The age group that sees the most cases of sciatic pain is 30 to 50 year olds. This is due to the fact that sciatic pain is usually the culmination of general wear and tear on your lower back.

One bit of good news is that it is rare for a sufferer to have permanent nerve damage from sciatic pain. A large portion of sufferers actually have a good deal of inflammation. Once this goes down the pain can begin to subside.  Another good thing is that the spinal cord leaves the spine before the lumbar area so a herniated disc there cannot carry a risk of paralysis.

There can be issues that will signify the need for a trip to your physician as soon as possible. These include incontinence and growing increasingly weak in the leg where the pain is felt. They can be a sign that you are having a deeper health issue that should be addressed immediately.

There are a few common causes of sciatic pain that many sufferers may share. These include spondylolisthesis (the forward displacement of one lumbar vertebra on top of another), degenerative disc disease, a herniated lumbar disc or spinal stenosis (narrowing of the lumbar spinal column which puts pressure on the nerve roots).

Once again, sciatic pain can decrease within a relatively short time with proper non-surgical treatment. The available treatments are centered around relieving the inflammation of and pressure on the root of the nerve. These treatments will usually involve alternative medical options such as massage therapy. It may also involve the use of natural herbal blends in order to relieve the inflammation as well. The overall goal of these treatments is to reduce the current problem as well as helping to prevent further pain as well.