Sciatica is a condition characterized by pain radiating from the lower back to the back of the leg and then into the foot. It occurs when the sciatic nerve gets damaged or compressed. While its common symptoms like pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in the leg might not look serious, it could lead to some really serious complications like permanent nerve damage if left untreated. Thus, it’s important to have an understanding of its causes, symptoms, and common types to help manage and eradicate the inconveniences linked to this spine-related condition.
Causes Of Sciatic Nerve Pain
Although being a nerve-related problem that develops due to the sciatic nerve getting compressed or irritated by injury or pressure, sciatic nerve pain might occur due to other causes as well. The sciatic nerve begins in the lower back and goes through the back of each leg. This is the very nerve that provides sensation to the back of the thigh, leg, and sole of each foot. It is common in all genders bearing an age of 30 and 50 years and might be caused due to any of the following reasons:
- Herniated disk: It’s the most common cause of sciatic nerve pain in which the soft, jelly-like center of a disk in the spine pushes outwards and leaks out of its outer ring, causing issues like pain, weakness, and numbness in the back and legs. This often requires using a sciatica back brace.
- Spinal stenosis: Under it, a part of the spine (spinal canal) where the nerves pass through gets narrowed, putting pressure on the nerve roots.
- Bone spurs: An overgrowth of bone on the spinal bones can cause bone spurs that put excess pressure on the sciatic nerve.
- Spondylolisthesis: One of the spine's bones slips out of its position and presses down against the vertebra below it, causing issues like pain and stiffness.
- Piriformis syndrome: Under it, the piriformis muscle compresses the sciatic nerve, causing issues like pain and numbness in the buttocks and down towards the back of the leg as well.
- Pelvic injury or fracture: A pelvic injury or fracture can also lead to sciatica.
- Tumors: Certain kinds of tumors consisting of schwannomas, spinal tumors, and endometriosis can also cause sciatica.
Sciatica Nerve Pain Symptoms
The symptoms of sciatic nerve pain can vary from individual to individual. At first, they might have a dull ache, mild tingling, or a burning sensation, and with time it might turn into a sharp, shooting pain. Though the symptoms can affect both of the legs, they are usually felt on one side of the body and can worsen over time due to sudden movement, sitting for too long, or bending forward. It’s advised to keep an eye on the possible symptoms to opt for a proper treatment as early as possible.
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Pain: The individual feels pain beca
use of the applied pressure on the affected nerves. This is often felt like an electric shock or burning sensation. This pain is most commonly felt during the times of bending, coughing, sneezing, walking, bending forward, or lifting the legs. - Tingling or numbness: Under it, you won’t be able to feel your leg due to it getting numbed. Moreover, you won’t be able to feel any kind of sensation on the skin of the areas affected on the back and leg. This happens due to signals of the back and leg being unable to reach the brain.
- Muscle weakness: It's a more serious symptom that occurs when muscle signals struggle to reach the legs and back.
- Urinary incontinence: Under it, the signals controlling your bladder and bowels aren’t able to arrive at their destinations.
Types Of Sciatica Nerve Pain
On the basis of symptoms faced and the severity of the condition, sciatica is classified into four categories: acute, chronic, bilateral, and alternating sciatica. Each one of them carries different characteristics and accordingly requires different approaches for their treatment.
1. Acute Sciatica
It’s the most common type of sciatica that is characterized by a sudden irritation to the nerves because of compression or pinching. Under it, the individual faces issues like burning or shooting sensations going through the lower back, buttocks, and back of legs. Although the pain is short-term, it lasts for a few weeks. For this, the healthcare professional might suggest the best back brace for sciatica based on his knowledge.
2. Chronic Sciatica
Under it, the individual faces chronic pain that lasts from a few months to even years. These cases often do not get well with self-management and do require surgical or non-surgical treatment. Infections, spinal misalignment issues, injuries, or inflammatory conditions might worsen the pain.
3. Bilateral Sciatica
It’s more of a rare sciatica type, affecting both the legs and buttocks at the same time. Possible causes for it involve multiple herniated discs, disc degeneration, or cauda equina syndrome. In certain instances, the pain in one leg might be more severe than the other one.
4. Alternating Sciatica
This is a less common form of sciatic nerve pain that impacts both legs alternately. The pain under it keeps on switching sides, going from left to right, and vice versa. Generally, it happens due to degenerative problems in the sacroiliac joint or because of sacroiliac arthritis.
Final Insights
Being a spine and nerve-related medical condition, it’s never recommended to ignore sciatic nerve pain. Having so many ill effects makes it very inconvenient for the individual to get along with the day. It severely impacts an individual’s ability to do even simple tasks of daily living like sitting, walking, and standing. Timely identification of its early signs is crucial for addressing the issue with an appropriate treatment. Luckily, we at SNUG360 are doing our part to acknowledge the importance of staying informed about medical conditions like this. We are a well-regarded medical healthcare medical support products supplier that you can rely on.