Sciatica

Sciatica isn’t actually a health condition; it’s a symptom, and a misnamed one at that. Sciatica refers to the symptoms of buttock, thigh, and leg pain, but it can arise from a variety of causes. Sciatica gets its name from the sciatic nerve, the body’s largest.

There’s one sciatic nerve on either side of the body. Each nerve extends through the buttock and down the leg into the foot and toes. Yet the most common causes of sciatica don’t involve direct injury to a sciatic nerve itself, but rather to the nerves higher in the spine that join to form the sciatic nerve.

The right treatment for sciatica depends on the cause, such as a herniated disc, injury, or a pinched sciatic nerve in the buttocks. Sciatica can also happen in late pregnancy as ligaments get looser and the growing baby puts indirect pressure on the sciatic nerve.

For most people, home treatment may be all you need. Even if you don’t know what’s causing your sciatica, you can take steps to relieve your pain at home. For example:

• Move. A few days of rest is okay but ideally you want to move as much as you can as soon as you can. If moving seems to make the pain worse, it’s best to see a doctor and talk through what’s going on.
• Ice and heat. Ice is helpful for the first week. After that applying heat can help. Arnicare gel(arnicare.com) may be helpful as well. Some People get relief by taking a Magnesium supplement.
• Over-the-counter pain relievers: NEVER take more than the recommended dose.

Although most sciatica gets better on its own, it’s sometimes prudent to visit a Neurologist to make sure your pain does not have a more serious cause. An office visit is in order if

• one is under age 20 or older than 55 and having sciatica for the first time
• if symptoms are severe
• if there is weakness in a leg or foot
• If there is a fever in addition to pain.
• history of cancer

Testing:

Tests may be ordered, including:

• X-ray, MRI, or other imaging tests of the spine
• Blood Analysis (Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are tests that can be utilized to ascertain the levels of inflammation)

Author

Paddy Kalish OD, JD and B.Arch