What is Sciatica? And How To Relieve Sciatica Pain?
Sciatica typically refers to pain that radiates along the pathway of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the longest in the body and originates from the spinal cord branching from L4 to S2. The sciatic nerve branches off into smaller nerves that innervate down the leg to your foot.
It's also key to clarify that no leg or low back pain is sciatica. On the other hand, Sciatica pain is a medical condition most commonly resulting from pressure on the sciatic nerve. It's important to understand that sciatica occurs when this nerve is inflamed or compressed and affects only one side of the body - commonly, the affected leg feels the brunt of the symptoms.
Symptoms that may suggest sciatica include:
Severe pain in only one part of the leg, worse than low back pain
Nerve pain that radiates down the affected leg and below the knee, causing discomfort
numbness or tingling in the same region
Note: If you're currently suffering from lower back pain and want some advice on how to get rid of it, make sure to read this article and watch our newly uploaded Youtube videos.
Sciatica is caused by inflammation or compression of the spinal nerve roots where the sciatic nerve originates or its branches. Most often, inflammation is the cause, irritating the nerve and resulting in sciatica symptoms, while compression can lead to more severe motor dysfunction. Lumbar radiculopathy is another term that refers to this nerve root disturbance caused by either compression or inflammation.
Common causes include:
herniated disk - disc issue puts pressure on the nerve roots where the sciatic nerve originates, leading to the characteristic symptoms of sciatica
Sciatica protrusion of intervertebral disc
Inflammation resulting in lumbar or sacral nerve impingement
Piriformis syndrome or SIJ dysfunction
Lumbar spinal stenosis (more prevalent in the elderly population)
Spondylolisthesis
Less common but more serious causes include malignancy, epidural haematoma, or abscess
Additional causes of sciatica could be lumbar or pelvic muscular spasm, which often results from weakened core muscles. Physical therapy (physiotherapy) can aid in strengthening these core muscles and alleviate the pressure on the nerve roots.
It's imperative to seek medical attention if you suspect you have sciatica. A thorough physiotherapy assessment will confirm if you are experiencing sciatica, identify the cause and manage your symptoms, providing appropriate treatment and education to help you return to what you enjoy. This plan can include treatments like physical therapy, medication, and even surgery in severe cases to avoid nerve damage.
How to relieve sciatica pain while waiting for your physio appointment?
Stay active and continue your daily activities.
A few hours on bed rest may ease symptoms in the short term but will not improve recovery so avoid total bed rest and inactivity
Stretches if tolerated:
Lying glute stretch
Pigeon stretch
Single knee to chest stretch
If you find yourself with these symptoms, be sure to book in with one of our physiotherapists or medical professionals for management strategies individualized to you, to get you on your way to recovery, in the meantime check out our Youtube video on Sciatica.
