Sciatica is a pain that runs from the lower back down the leg, often into the foot and toes. It is triggered by an irritation of the sciatic nerve induced by a compression.
Some people suffering from sciatica may experience a burning, tickling or prickly sensation, normally on one side of the body. The type and level of pain a person experiences depends upon the specific location of the nerve compression.
In certain cases the pain can be very moderate, while in others it might be extreme and debilitating. Although most individuals will recover from an episode of sciatica within a few weeks, the pain can sometime worsen in time or persist for a lot longer. Everything hinges on the underlying cause.
Nerve Damage Caused by Sciatica
Although it is rare, in some instances sciatica can produce irreversible nerve damage. But the irritation of the nerve that triggers the sciatica pain typically is reversible.
Symptoms of a more dangerous medical problem include bladder or bowl incontinence, growing weakness, or the loss of sensation in the leg.
Sciatic Nerve Location
Sciatic nerves are the longest in the body. They extend from the lower back completely down to the feet.
Sciatic nerves exit the spine between two vertebrae in the lower back and travel behind the hip joint down the buttock and along the back of each leg into the feet.
Sciatica is caused by the irritation of one or both of these particular nerves. Generally, a herniated disc places pressure on the sciatic nerve root.
Many times, people experiencing sciatica have leg pain, which makes them mistakenly think that the sciatica is caused by some kind of problem within the leg.
Other root causes of sciatica can include spinal tumors, trauma, spinal stenosis, or sciatic nerve tumor or injury.
What Causes Sciatica
Most people think that sciatica is something that solely effects people who have a sedentary lifestyle. And while it’s true that sedentary people are more at risk for sciatica, it really can affect active people also, particularly if they participate in activities that involve twisting the back or carrying heavy weights frequently.
Sciatica will typically resolve itself within a few weeks. Treatment options include exercise, physical therapy and corticosteroid injections. For some patients, however, the pain can last much longer, so individualized treatment plans are recommended.
How to Treat Sciatica
Another more natural and less invasive sciatica therapy option is gentle, non-surgical spinal decompression therapy. By lightly decompressing the involved spinal disks pressure on the sciatic nerve can be eased and the pain from sciatica can disappear.
Contact us today for your free consultation if you or somebody you know is suffering from sciatica. Our sciatica experts can tell you if gentle, non-surgical spinal decompression treatment is a good option for treating your sciatica and other pain and spinal issues.
Contact Bettendorf Disc Center at (563) 344-0908 for your Free Consultation Today!
