No One Enjoys Suffering from Sciatica
Sciatica is a term for lower back pain that radiates from the hips to the feet and toes. It is caused by pressure on one of five spinal discs in your spine, which can be due to injury or osteoarthritis. Many people who suffer from sciatica experience numbness, tingling, or burning sensations in their leg, as well as sharp pain shooting down into their foot.
The symptoms vary greatly depending on the severity of the injury and can be extremely painful. There are a few different treatments for sciatica that range from exercise to surgery. Still, it is not uncommon for people who suffer from this condition to experience prolonged pain if they do not receive medical help and treatment.
Causes of Sciatica
Several different things can cause sciatica. It is often the result of an injury to your spinal discs that irritates them, leading to inflammation and swelling. It has also been seen as a complication of other conditions such as arthritis or cancer in the spine.
The cause of this disorder differs depending on your age group; however, most cases happen during adulthood between the ages of twenty-five and fifty-five years old due to degenerative changes in disc joints. There are many reasons that one would get diagnosed with this type of pain, including car accidents or falls, prolonged sitting or standing positions, infections of the spinal cord, and weight changes.
Some treatment options include medications, physical therapy which includes stretching, and exercises to strengthen the muscles in your back and pelvis area. There are also surgical treatments that can be done as well; however, it is important to consult with a specialist before moving forward.
Sciatica Symptoms
The symptoms vary depending on how severe sciatica is and what has been done to treat it so far. The most common symptom for people who suffer from this disorder is numbness, tingling sensations, or burning feelings in their leg, and sharp shooting pain into their foot.
There is also significant swelling around the area where nerve roots exit the spine (sciatic nerve). Some people may have difficulty moving due to muscle spasms which cause intense tightness in either thigh muscle.
The symptoms of sciatica depend on the severity of it from person to person, which is why sufferers need to see a doctor who can assess their situation to determine what treatments are necessary.
If you experience any of these symptoms for more than six weeks: pain in one leg or foot (and sometimes both), numbness, tingling sensations, weakness while walking or standing up from a sitting position, it is best to see a doctor immediately.
General Location of Sciatica
Sciatica is generally located in the lower back on one side of the body but may radiate further down towards their leg and other areas such as the buttocks. The symptoms depend largely on which nerve is being affected by sciatic pain. For example, if the person has pressure from a herniated disc in the spine, they will experience mild-to-moderate low back pain that can also feel numb or tingling in their hips and legs. Some people just have stiffness or weakness with no real specific pain sensation at all. For most sufferers, it's accompanied by shooting pains into either foot and often accompanying muscle spasms when trying to stretch out muscles, causing tightness in the thighs (especially when standing).
Treatment Options
There are treatment options available for sciatica sufferers. The first option is medications that can either help lessen the pain or stop it altogether. Another treatment option that may be worth trying for those who are not responsive to medication is physical therapy and exercise.
Physical therapists will work with patients to identify what activities they should avoid while also identifying exercises that should be performed and stretches that could alleviate pressure on sciatic nerve roots, which is the medical term for sciatica. If you are experiencing pain or discomfort, you mustn't ignore the symptoms. It is essential to get professional help as soon as possible.
