What is sciatica?

Pain: The sciatic nerve is a large nerve that is composed of many smaller nerves that come out of the lower back and run down each leg. They merge and separate like an interstate highway system. The nerve may be irritated by a spinal problem (herniated disc, spinal stenosis, arthritis), or a muscle spasm. In either case, sciatica is when the injured nerve causes pain going down the leg.

Nerve pain: Sciatica is a common term for a set of symptoms caused by compression or irritation of the nerve roots that make up the sciatic nerve, or the actual sciatic nerves. The pain is felt in the lower back, buttock, or any part of the leg and foot. The pain may be accompanied by numbness, weakness, tingling and difficulty in moving or controlling the leg. There are many causes of sciatica.

Pain in the leg: Sciatica is symptoms of irritation of the sciatic nerve. This is the longest nerve in the body and you have one going down each leg. Sciatica may be caused by an arthritic spur, a ruptured or herniated disc, or rarely a tumor that is pinching a nerve in the low back region.

Sciatica: Low back, buttock and "shooting" leg pain are all symptoms of a pinched nerve. It sounds like you may have that problem. If the pain is severe and limiting your activity still, the best non-narcotic medications that I have found to work for my patients are antiinflammatories such as Ibuprofen or Naproxen which are over-the-counter medications. Other non-narcotic medications include tramadol (ultram) which requires a prescription and nerve-pain medications such as gabapentin. These are all to be taken for temporary pain relief. This type of pain typically resolves with time. Ask your primary physician about these if the pain is still limiting you. If it is still going on for more than a month an MRI may be helpful to help sort out what is going on and there could be other potential treatments outside of surgery that could benefit you.

Back ; Leg Pain: Sciatica is pain in the distribution of the leg as a result of an irritated nerve or facet joints or other injury typically in the lumbar spine (low back) which are caused by herniated disks, spinal stenosis or degenerative disc disease, etc requiring further evaluation by a spine specialist and may be candidate for facet injections/radiofrequency ablation and epidural steroid injection.

Sciatica: Sciatic is a condtion of pain arising from pressure or irritation or inflammation of the sciatic nerve as it courses from the lumbar spine down to the lower leg and foot.

Lumbar radiculopathy: You have 5 lumbar vertebrae connected to the sacrum. Between each two vertebrae there is a foramen, or hole, bilaterally where the nerves to the legs leave the spinal canal. Spine arthritis, and degenerative disk disease can cause bone or ligaments to encroach on these spinal nerves either inside the spine or in the foramina causing shooting pain, leg numbness, leg weakness.

Leg pain : Sciatica is a symptom from compression of one or more nerves in the lumbar spine that causes severe buttock and leg pain often associated with numbness and tingling. Although theist common cause comes from your low back, it can come from any compression of the nerve along its course from your back to your foot.

Shooting pain: A herniated disc can cause back pain as well as foot pain by physically pressing on the nerves that travel to the foot and by irritating them through the extrusion of pro-inflammatory disc materials. Typical symptoms include back pain and shooting, electrical pain going down one or both legs.

Back ; Leg Pain: Sciatica is pain in the distribution of the leg as a result of an irritated nerve or facet joints or other injury typically in the lumbar spine (low back) which are caused by herniated disks, spinal stenosis or degenerative disc disease, etc requiring further evaluation by a spine specialist and may be candidate for facet injections/radiofrequency ablation and epidural steroid injection.

Mostly nonop: Time, rest, activity restriction, medication, physical rherapy, epidural steroid injections, chiropractic, guided exercise - some or most in combination with 90% resolving without surgery. Lifestyle changes may be needed in terms of weight control, exercise and not smoking.

Sciatica: Meds, exercise, physical therapy including mckenzie centralization techniques, traction, inversion table. Many things are used.

Pinched Nerve: Sounds like you have a pinched nerve in your back. I would suggest seeing a pain/spine specialist to evaluate you further to evaluate what level and what can be done to treat you. There are interventional treatments besides medications and surgeries that might reduce or eliminate the pain altogether.

Sciatica treatment: True sciatica is leg pain that shoots from back, down the leg past the knee. This mimics the path of the sciatic nerve, thus it's name. It may be associated with numbness, burning pain, or weakness in the leg. Treatment involves nsaids, tylenol, (acetaminophen) rest, mckenzie pt with a doc's rx, and steroid injections (nerve root or epidural). Failing that, microdiskectomy if disk herniation confirmed.

True Sciatica?: Many patients use the term "sciatica" loosly. Sciatica refers specifically to pain running down the back/outside of the thigh down the back/outside of the leg and often to the foot due to compression of one or more of the nerves in the back that joint to make the sciatic nerve. Treatment includes, rest, pt, traction, anti-inflammatories, and sometimes targeted epidurals. Sometimes surgery.

Weeks to Months: Generally most people can get relief from sciatic pain doing the conservative care within 3-6 weeks. If it persists after that, it can take up to 6 months to heal by itself. You may still be a candidate for epidural steroid injections that may help relieve the pain while your body heals itself.

Sciatica treatment: 70%get better. Initially rest followed by graded stretching exercises, and once loosened up and pain reduced, strengthening exercises to prevent recurrence. If persistent, see your physician.

Sciatica: I would start with pain management and physial therapy. If pain only and no muscle weakness this is a reasonable way to proceed.

Conservative first: Conservative management: nsaids, positional maneuvers (lying down with leg elevated on chair etc, hip and knee both flexed at 90 degrees), gradual increase in activity, back muscle strengthening, avoid sitting (standing, walking, lying down ok), give it some time (weeks). Any weakness or numbness, see neurosurgeon for evaluation. Next steps may be epidural steroid injection, emg, micro-discectomy.

Sciatica: Meds, exercise, physical therapy including mckenzie centralization techniques, traction, inversion table. Many things are used.

Pinched Nerve: Sounds like you have a pinched nerve in your back. I would suggest seeing a pain/spine specialist to evaluate you further to evaluate what level and what can be done to treat you. There are interventional treatments besides medications and surgeries that might reduce or eliminate the pain altogether.

Sciatica: You can get physical therapy and use anti-inflammatories. Please see your doctor for diagnosis if you have not done so. Natural anti-inflammatories include Circumin and Marne Fine Oil but check w/doc first. Peace and good health.

There are many, many reasons for sciatic pains and your question can not be simply answered. Often sciatic pain is not serious and will resolve quickly on its own. If it is severe, however, or if it persists or is associated with other symptoms other than just the sciatic pain, then you should be evaluated by an appropriately trained provider.