Sciatica refers to pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in the leg. It is caused by injury to or compression of the sciatic nerve. Sciatica is a symptom of another medical problem, not a medical condition on its own.

In most cases this is a mechanical problem... 

Symptoms

Sciatica pain can vary widely. It may feel like a mild tingling, dull ache, or a burning sensation. In some cases, if the pain is severe enough, a person might not be able to move. Certain cases may also cause urinary or other function issues.

Understanding Sciatica and why surgery or injections in most cases, shouldn't be the first choice.

The pain most often occurs on one side. Some people have sharp pain in one part of the leg or hip and numbness in other parts. The sensations may also be felt on the back of the calf or on the sole of the foot. The affected leg may feel weak.

• The pain starts gradually
• Sciatica pain can become amplified or go farther down the leg
• Occurs after periods of standing or sitting
• Occurs at night
• When sneezing, coughing, or laughing
• When bending backwards or walking more than a few yards, especially if caused by spinal stenosis

Treatment

Because sciatica is a symptom of another medical condition such as abnormal soft tissue mechanics, "the underlying cause of disc pain in most cases" should be identified and treated. By looking for and improving the mechanical component of back pain and disc pain.

In some cases, no treatment is required and      (ouch)

 recovery occurs on its own but rarely.

Conservative treatment is best in many cases. Your doctor may recommend the following steps to calm your symptoms and reduce inflammation. But injections are a slippery-slope and do not correct any mechanics...

Chiropractic and acupuncture targets  the underlining problems and  rehabilitations to improve spinal mechanics.

Apply heat or ice to the painful area. Try ice for the first 48 - 72 hours, then use heat after that.

You might take over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) for only for a few days, but you should NEVER PERFORM PHYSICALLY as this can make a small problem much worse. This is no cure and may give a false sense of security.

While sleeping, try lying in a curled-up, fetal position with a pillow between your legs. If you usually sleep on your back, place a pillow or rolled towel under your knees to relieve pressure.

Other types of pain treatment

Spinal injections to reduce inflammation around the nerve, but this offers no correction and may prolong corrective treatment... Other medicines may be prescribed to help reduce the stabbing pains associated with sciatica.

Chiropractic adjustment has had a long history of successfully helping the pain of sciatic pain and aiding in the correction of the cause.

A neurologist or a pain specialist may be considered for pain and to ensure that you have access to the widest range of treatment options.

Causes

Sciatica occurs when there is pressure or damage to the sciatic nerve. This nerve starts in the spine and runs down the back of each leg. This nerve controls the muscles of the back of the knee and lower leg and provides sensation to the back of the thigh, part of the lower leg, and the sole of the foot.

Common causes of sciatica include:

• Piriformis syndrome (a pain disorder involving the narrow piriformis muscle in the buttocks)
• Slipped disk (muscles and soft tissue have allowed the disk to bulge) or acute trauma.
• Degenerative disk disease (this usually takes years to happen and is initially a loss of normal movement in the spine).
• Spinal stenosis, Pelvic injury or fracture, Tumors (rare but do occur)

Tests & diagnosis

Sciatica might be revealed by a neuromuscular examination of the legs and low back by a physician. There may be weakness of knee bending or foot movement, or difficulty bending the foot inward or down. Reflexes may be abnormal, with weak or absent ankle-jerk reflex. Pain down the leg can be reproduced by lifting the leg straight up off the examining table.

Tests are guided by the suspected cause of the dysfunction, as suggested by the history, symptoms, and pattern of symptom development. They may include various blood tests, x-rays, MRIs, or other tests and procedures.

Prognosis

If the cause of the sciatic nerve dysfunction can be identified and successfully treated, full recovery is possible. The extent of disability varies from no disability to partial or complete loss of movement or sensation. Nerve pain may be severe and persist for a prolonged period of time.

Prevention

Prevention varies depending on the cause of the nerve damage. Avoid prolonged sitting or lying with pressure on the buttocks.

• Complications
• Partial or complete loss of leg movement
• Partial or complete loss of sensation in the leg
• Recurrent or unnoticed injury to the leg
• Side effects of medications
• When to contact a doctor
• Call your doctor right away if you have:
• Unexplained fever with back pain
• Back pain after a severe blow or fall
• Redness or swelling on the back or spine
• Pain traveling down your legs below the knee
• Weakness or numbness in your buttocks, thigh, leg, or pelvis
• Burning with urination or blood in your urine
• Pain that is worse when you lie down, or awakens you at night
• Severe pain and you cannot get comfortable
• Loss of control of urine or stool (incontinence)

Also call if:

• You have been losing weight unintentionally
• You use steroids or intravenous drugs
• You have had back pain before but this episode is different and feels worse
• This episode of back pain has lasted longer than 4 weeks

If any of these symptoms are present, your doctor will carefully check for any sign of infection (such as meningitis, abscess, or urinary tract infection), ruptured disk, spinal stenosis, hernia, cancer, kidney stone, twisted testicle, or other serious problem.

Dr. Kosmides a one-time sciatic pain suffer will find out the cause and give you the best short and long term treatment options.