Sciatica: What to Expect?

Sciaitic pain, pain, pins and needles, hip pain, hip tightness, paresthesia

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica refers to radiation pain or paresthesia (pins and needles) down the pathway of the sciatic nerve from the lower back, through the hips and down the leg. Sciatica affects 10% to 40% of the population, typically around 40 years old or above. In most circumstances, sciatica only impacts one side of the body. Sciatica usually occurs due to a lumbar herniated disc (90%). Often, a particular event or injury does not cause sciatica—instead, it tends to develop over time. Sciatica is common in specific types of occupational work that are physically strenuous, such as machine operators or truck drivers—specifically, people who often bend their spine forward or sideways.

hip pain, sciaitica, pins and needles, loss of sensation, hip, saddle numbness
What Are The Symptoms and Causes of Sciatica?

Some hallmarks of sciatica include: radiation pain down the lower back, buttock, back of your thigh and calf. Sciatic pain can present in other areas but is rare. The severity of the pain can range from a mild ache to a sharp, burning sensation or excruciating pain. Sciatic pain can have a positional element, it can be worse when you cough or sneeze, and prolonged sitting can aggravate symptoms. Usually, only one side of your body is affected. When presenting with severe burning pain and numbness radiating down both legs, it can indicate other conditions like cauda equina syndrome. 

 

Sciatica occurs when pressure on the sciatic nerve increases and becomes pinched. In most cases, it results from a herniated disc, usually compressing one or more spinal nerve roots (L4-S3) that form the sciatic nerve. Other common causes include: degeneration of tissues in the lumbar spine, narrowing of the spinal canal (spinal stenosis) and minor stress fractures causing one of the vertebral bodies to slip forward on another (spondylolisthesis), resulting in inflammation, lower back pain, hip pain and numbness in the affected leg.

hip pain, sciaitica, pins and needles, loss of sensation, hip, saddle numbness
What Are The Symptoms and Causes of Sciatica?

Some hallmarks of sciatica include: radiation pain down the lower back, buttock, back of the thigh and calf. Sciatic pain can present in other areas but is rare. The severity of the pain can range from a mild ache to a sharp, burning sensation or excruciating pain. Sciatic pain can have a positional element, it can be worse when you cough or sneeze, and prolonged sitting can aggravate symptoms. Usually, only one side of your body is affected. When presenting with severe burning pain and numbness radiating down both legs, it can indicate other conditions like cauda equina syndrome. 

 

Sciatica occurs when pressure on the sciatic nerve increases and becomes pinched. In most cases, it results from a herniated disc, usually compressing one or more spinal nerve roots (L4-S3) that form the sciatic nerve. Other common causes include: degeneration of tissues in the lumbar spine, narrowing of the spinal canal (spinal stenosis) and minor stress fractures causing one of the vertebral bodies to slip forward on another (spondylolisthesis), resulting in inflammation, lower back pain, hip pain and numbness in the affected leg.

What Factors Contribute To Sciatica?

Some common factors that contribute to the risk of sciatica include:

Age: Age-related changes to the spinal column can result in conditions such as herniated disks and bone spurs.

Obesity: Carrying excess body weight can result in maladaptations to the spine that can apply pressure to the sciatic nerve and trigger sciatica. 

Occupation: A job that requires you to twist your back, carry heavy loads or drive a motor vehicle for extended periods might play a role in sciatica. Furthermore, individuals who sit for prolonged periods or have a sedentary lifestyle are more likely to develop sciatica than active people.

Diabetes: This condition, which affects how your body uses blood sugar, increases your risk of nerve damage.

While in most situations, people recover from sciatica without any long-term effects, sciatica can result in permanent nerve damage without proper treatment. If you’re having symptoms of loss of sensation in both legs down to the bottom of the foot, loss of bowel or bladder function, numbness in the buttocks, perineum, and inner surfaces of the thighs (saddle region), seek medical attention immediately.

How To Prevent Sciatica?​

While there is no full-proof method for preventing sciatica, and the condition can reoccur, adapting some lifestyle changes can significantly reduce the risk. These include:

  • Exercise: Ensuring you keep a well-developed abdominal core muscles and a strong lower back is critical for sciatica prevention due to playing a pivotal role in proper posture and alignment.
  •  
  • Ergonomics: Maintain proper posture when you sit. Choose a seat with good lower back support, armrests and a swivel base. Keep your knees and hips level. Consider placing a pillow or rolled towel on the lower back to maintain its normal curve.
  •  
  • Maintaining healthy movement patterns: If you stand for long periods, rest one foot on a stool or small box from time to time. When you lift something heavy, let your lower extremities do the work. Move straight up and down. Keep your back straight and bend only at the knees. Hold the load close to your body. Avoid lifting and twisting simultaneously. Find a lifting partner if the object is heavy or awkward.
hip pain, sciatica, sciatic hip, pain, pain management, paraesthesia
How To Prevent Sciatica?

While there is no full-proof method for preventing sciatica, and the condition can reoccur, adapting some lifestyle changes can significantly reduce the risk. These include:

  • Exercise: Ensuring you keep a well-developed abdominal core muscles and a strong lower back is critical for sciatica prevention due to playing a pivotal role in proper posture and alignment.
  •  
  • Ergonomics: Maintain proper posture when you sit. Choose a seat with good lower back support, armrests and a swivel base. Keep your knees and hips level. Consider placing a pillow or rolled towel on the lower back to maintain its normal curve.
  •  
  • Maintaining healthy movement patterns: If you stand for long periods, rest one foot on a stool or small box from time to time. When you lift something heavy, let your lower extremities do the work. Move straight up and down. Keep your back straight and bend only at the knees. Hold the load close to your body. Avoid lifting and twisting simultaneously. Find a lifting partner if the object is heavy or awkward.
How is Sciatica Treated?

The goal of treating sciatica is to decrease your pain while increasing mobility. A significant portion of cases of sciatica self-resolve over time. Simple self-care treatments may be all that’s needed. These include: ice packs, over-the-counter analgesics, and gentle stretching. However, depending on the cause, treatment may be required.  After a six-week trial of conservative, self-care treatments that have provided minimal relief, or your symptoms are severe and unrelenting, more aggressive treatment options may be required. 

Other treatment options include:

Physical Therapy: The goal of physical therapy is to find exercise movements that decrease sciatica by reducing pressure on the nerve. An exercise program should include stretching exercises to improve muscle flexibility and aerobic exercises (such as walking, swimming, and water aerobics).

Corticosteroid Injections: Injections into the lower back may help with reducing symptoms of pain and swelling around the affected nerve roots. However, these are usually short-lasting (typically up to three months) and can have significant side effects such as cartilage damage, death of nearby bone, joint infection and nerve damage, especially with repeated injections. 

Spinal Manipulation: Manipulation of the spine frees restricted movement and helps restore vertebral bodies to their proper position within the spinal column. This can help with reducing nerve irritability, muscle spasms, pain, and other symptoms commonly seen with sciatica.  

Shockwave Therapy: In cases where sciatica originates from the pelvis, extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) softens the tissue around nerves and increases blood flow and reduces pressure from the soft tissue (specifically the piriformis muscle) that may be pinching onto the sciatic nerve.

If you have any questions regarding your sciatic pain, don’t hesitate to give us a call on 04 385 6446.

0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Reddit
Tags
ankle pain ankle sprain arch pain back pain back pain treatment back pain treatment wellington back soreness chronic pain custom orthotics exercise foot pain frozen shoulder headache heel pain hip pain holistic pain management knee pain lifestyle lower back pain migraine Migraine headache neck pain numbness pain pain clinic pain clinic wellington painful shoulder Pain management pain rehabilitation pain relief pain science pain treatment physical migraine treatment plantar fasciitis plantar fasciitis relief plantar fasciitis treatment rehabilitation sciatic pain shoulder pain shoulder pain treatment shoulder rehabilitation sleep sore shoulder tension headache Wellness

Recent Articles

Why Haven’t My Exercises Fixed My Pain? Pain Clinic - Exercises - Man planta Fasciitis - ball Is Plantar Fasciitis Taping An Effective Treatment?