Sunday, August 25, 2013

Sciatica Treatment and Sciatica Back Pain Relief


What is Sciatica?

Sciatica refers to a chronic pain that is felt at the base of the spine, the hip and buttocks, the leg and in the foot. When someone is suffering from severe sciatica, even a task like walking becomes difficult as the pain can be such that weight cannot be put onto the leg. These painful symptoms get their name from the sciatic nerve, the longest and largest nerve in the body. This nerve is as thick as a finger in parts, and travels from the base of the spine into the legs. Those that suffer from sciatic nerve pain often find that it attacks in bouts. They may be pain free for several months, then experience a few days where the pain in considerable. Often those that experience sciatica will also experience lower back pain and upper back pain in the times when their sciatica is worse. Migraines and neck pain are also felt in severe cases.

What Causes Sciatica?

There are differing potential causes of sciatica that have been identified by health practitioners. One identified cause of sciatica is a herniated disc. Between the vertebrae of the spine are discs which are made of soft, spongy tissue. Stress to the spine and back causes discs to bulge, placing pressure on the sciatic nerve. Damage to discs can be caused by things including bad ergonomics, sports injuries or other lower back injury. During pregnancy, many women experience lower back pain and sciatic nerve pain. Pressure on the sciatic nerve is one of the most common causes of this pregnancy back pain. As the pregnancy progresses, shifts and changes in the body mean that the pressure on the body is increased which can in turn lead to back pain. Other causes of sciatica can include: Spondylolisthesis - a condition where vertebra in the lower part of the spine slip forward and onto a vertebra below; Nerve compression caused by accidents or injuries; spinal stenosis - a narrowing of the spinal canal causing pressure on the nerve; poor posture or poor body use.

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