Sciatica – It’s A Real Pain In The ….Leg

What is Sciatica? 

Sciatica is a blanket term used to describe nerve pain that travels along the path of the sciatic nerve in the leg. The cause of pain is often through irritation and/or compression of the sciatic nerve. The nerve starts in the lower spine, travels through the buttock and down the back of the leg to the foot.

Where is the Sciatic Nerve?

The Sciatic nerve branches out from the spine at vertebrae L4 (Lower back) to S3 (Sacrum). It then travels through the buttocks, between gluteus muscles and down the posterior leg. It splits at the knee into the tibial and fibula nerves which innervate the distal leg and foot.

What causes Sciatica?

There are a range of different causes of sciatica. These can include spinal injury or trauma, bone spurs or other growths, narrowing of the spinal canal, but most commonly it is tight or swollen muscles in the buttock. In many cases, people cannot pinpoint a specific injury that caused the condition, but just present with the problem one day.

How do you treat Sciatica?

In many cases, the condition gets better over time. However, your health practitioner can help the healing process with Acupuncture or Massage. They will aim to relax the muscles that are either directly clamping on the nerve, or minimising space or movement between joints.

Will it get better?

As mentioned earlier, the problem can disappear as quickly as it appeared without any treatment. However, like most things, if the problem does not improve, always seek professional help from a qualified health practitioner. Relying on pain killers and anti-inflammatories may help in the short term, but might not be enough and certainly not advisable in the long term. The best method is prevention, so stretching and exercise can always help during times when sciatica causes discomfort.

Will it come back?

If you have experienced sciatica once, it is likely it can happen again. Some people can go years between occurrences, and others it is frequent or regular.