Sciatica Pain is a medical condition that occurs when the sciatic nerve in the gluteal area becomes compressed.
This will cause pain to radiate in the lower back, hips, and down the leg. The pain will generally only affect one side of the body.
You might also experience numbness and tingling in the affected areas. These are the five main causes of sciatica.
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Natural Aging
The normal pressures of everyday life will start to wear down the tissues and disks in the spine as you get older. This narrows the nerve pathways in the spine, which puts you at a higher risk of having the nerves pinched as the bones and discs shift in the back.
Once the nerve becomes pinched, you will start to develop pain in the lower back and leg. Moreover, Physical therapy exercises are the most common treatment for this problem.
Herniated Disk
The most common cause of sciatica is a herniated or slipped disk in the spine. These disks act as cushion pads for the vertebrae in the spine.
They have a soft center designed to absorb pressure to prevent damage to the spine. If too much pressure is put on the disk, then it will eventually slip out of position.
This can result in excessive pressure being placed on the nerves including the sciatic nerve.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a common type of arthritis that forms when cartilage in the bones starts to wear down. While this can happen in several different places in the body, one of the most common spots to develop osteoarthritis is the spine.
Once the cartilage deteriorates, bone spurs will generally start to appear in the spine. These bone spurs will eventually start to place pressure on the nerves. Medication and physical therapy can help relieve the pain.
Injury to Back
An injury to the lower back may put pressure on the sciatic nerve. This injury often occurs from overuse or improper form when lifting heavy objects.
A great way to know you are dealing with sciatica after an injury is pain down the entire leg. A condition known as fake sciatica will cause similar symptoms, but the pain will never go below the knee. Treating your injury should help ease your sciatica symptoms over time.
Inactive Lifestyle
You are simply far more likely to develop sciatica if you live an inactive lifestyle. The muscles need to move on a regular basis in order to stay strong and flexible.
If they do not get the proper activity, then your risk of sciatica drastically increases. An inactive lifestyle also increases your risk of becoming obese.
This excess weight puts extra pressure on the spine and back muscles, which can lead to a variety of issues including sciatica.
The pain created by sciatica can make it very tough to live a normal life. Finding the root cause of your sciatica is the first step to getting relief. Once the cause of your pain is determined, then you can seek the proper treatment to help your body recover.
