What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is a condition that is caused by a pinched nerve in the lower back, usually caused by a herniated disk. This pressure on the nerve can send radiating pain down one or both legs. Read this article to learn more about the symptoms, or keep reading to find out how to resolve your pain. The dysfunction begins in your low back when one of the disks, that is in between your vertebra, gets injured or worn down. Its soft center can get pushed outside of its outer ring and cause a lot of trouble for the long sciatic nerve. When the disk bulges against the nerve it can cause pain and tingling down the nerve and even cause numbness in toes. It can be very uncomfortable.
There are millions of cases per year, in fact physical therapy for sciatica is one most common reasons people seek out care from their physical therapist. Most can self-diagnose their own sciatica, and thankfully it’s very treatable.
What Causes Sciatica to Flare Up?
There are several medical causes for sciatica such as herniated disks and bone spurs. Heavy lifting, physical activity without practicing proper body mechanics, and prolonged sitting can be hard on spinal disks and lead to herniated disks. Obesity and age-related spinal changes can also lead to sciatica symptoms. Pregnancy can also trigger sciatica from the sudden weight gain and increased pressure on the low back. Diabetes can cause nerve damage that can also lead to sciatica. It is important to maintain a healthy weight while keeping your core strong to give yourself the best possible chance to avoid herniated disks and spinal changes that can lead to age-related sciatica. Learning proper lifting techniques at a young age can also help decrease your chances of injuring your spine leading to age-related sciatica.
Sciatica and Radiculopathy
Radiculopathy is defined by John Hopkins Medicine as symptoms that occur as the result of a compressed nerve. You may be wondering, is radiculopathy the same as sciatica? There are many types of radiculopathy, given that we have so many nerves in the body, but sciatica specifically refers to lumbar radiculopathy. Lumbar radiculopathy typically refers to the feeling of radiating nerve pain caused by a compressed sciatic nerve. To read more about radiculopathy specifically, you can visit John Hopkins Medical’s website here.
Treatment for Sciatica and Lumbar Radiculopathy
Active rest and recovery. Most people recover from their sciatica within a few weeks with the short-term use of ibuprofen or naproxen, ice, and movement. Walking is good for sciatica; movement calms the nerve if it doesn’t include heavy lifting and poor positioning. If home remedies do not help, then it is best to reach out to a physical therapist or your physician for help.
A physical therapist can give you specific sciatica exercises to decrease the nerve pain while stabilizing the spine; a conservative approach is usually the best way to begin with and your physician may offer stronger medication and or steroid injections if your pain persists. To learn more about how a physical therapist can help you, click the contact button below and visit this website.