What is Sciatica, Really? Causes and Symptoms

Is your back “acting up” again? There are many reasons that people experience back pain, and they range from rather benign to very severe. That's why it's crucial to have your aches and pains evaluated by a professional. In the meantime, if you're wondering if sciatica is a potential culprit, read on.

 

What is sciatica?

Sciatica is a rather general descriptor, and it refers to any type of pain that stems from sciatic nerve irritation. There are many things that can cause sciatica, but it is most often from a compressed root nerve in the lower spine. Sciatica and back pain go hand-in-hand, but back pain isn't the only symptom.

 

The sciatic nerve is the longest and widest nerve we have in the human body. In fact, it runs all the way from the lower back through the buttocks and down just below the knee.

 

Many people look at sciatica as a condition, but if you want to get to the real root of the problem, it's better to consider sciatica as a symptom. Yes, the nerve is being compressed, but there's a reason why it's happening. If you want to solve the problem, of course, you need to know what is causing it.

 

What are the symptoms of sciatica?

Because sciatica stems from compression of a large and important nerve, it has many potential symptoms. You may have just one, or you may have many. Pain in the lower back and radiating pain down the back of the thigh and into the leg are the most common symptoms. Numbness in the buttocks or leg can also occur.

 

There's more than one type of sciatica

In fact, there are two types. Acute, or short-term, and chronic (or long-term). Usually, acute sciatica resolves itself over two to four weeks, and it can be treated with over-the-counter painkillers and other homeopathic remedies. Chronic sciatica almost always involves some sort of physical therapy or chiropractic care. As an absolute last resort, a patient may undergo surgery for chronic sciatica.

What causes sciatica?

One very common cause of sciatica is a herniated disc that compresses the spinal cord. When a disc is herniated, that means it is temporarily out of place, which puts pressure on the sciatic nerve.

 

Although a herniated disc is often the cause of sciatica, there are many other potential causes, so it's important to see your doctor if you think you are having symptoms of sciatica. Other potential causes are spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, tumors, spinal infection or injury.

 

 

When the injury that is causing sciatica is to the piriformis muscle in the buttocks, that is called piriformis syndrome. Fortunately, this particular syndrome responds very well to exercise, proper stretching and physical therapy. Our very own Piri-Stretcher^® was designed to help target the problematic muscle with at-home stretching in order to the get most out of every stretch.