Sciatica is not a medical condition that stands alone; it’s a sign of some other medical condition. Watch this illuminating video by Dr. Chandra Shekhar as he clears the air about sciatica.
What is sciatica?
It is a common term used for pain caused due to irritation or compression of sciatic nerve. Sciatic nerve stands as the longest nerve of our body. It starts running from the back of the pelvis, right through the buttocks, down to the legs, and up to the toes.
What are the symptoms of sciatica?
It is basically a pain that can occur on:
- one side of the buttocks
- down the legs (both)
The pain worsens when the patient is in sitting position. Burning or tingling sensation down the legs is another illustrative symptom of sciatica. Besides, weakness or numbness of legs, difficulty in moving legs, and difficulty in getting up and walking are listed as other symptoms.
What are the causes of sciatica?
- Irritation or compression of sciatic nerve
- Slipped disc
- Lumbar canal stenosis
- Degenerative disc disease
- Spondylolisthesis
Sciatica also occurs during pregnancy which could result due to:
- Spinal trauma
- Infection in spine
- Space occupying lesion in spinal canal/spinal canal tumors
- Overweight resulting into slipped disc
- Use of high heels
- Use of very soft mattresses for sleeping
How to diagnose sciatica?
Sciatica could be diagnosed via:
- Symptoms
- Clinical history
- Clinical examination (of buttocks, ribs, spinal cord, vertebral column, legs, etc.)
- Testing for various sensations
- X-rays
- CT scans
- MRI Scan
- Nerve stimulation studies
What are the treatments of sciatica?
Most sciatica cases resolve within a few weeks. However, severe cases could be treated via:
- Certain medications
- NSAIDs (ibuprofen)
- Oral steroids
- Epidural steroids
- Physiotherapy (structured exercises)
- Surgical intervention (in cases of operable tumor in sciatica region)
