A quick guide to Sciatica Pain
Your Guide To Sciatica Pain
Sciatica pain is an extremely common type of pain that occurs in the back. Keep reading to find out if it’s a likely cause of your pain.
What is sciatica?
Sciatica is defined as pain which starts in the buttock or lower back and radiates down the leg.
While some causes of sciatica are due to pressure on the sciatic nerve or its contributing spinal nerves, others are due to pain in muscles or joints in the back or hips which can also radiate down the leg.
A physical assessment should help to determine the specific cause.
What are sciatica symptoms
The telltale symptom of sciatica is lower back or butt pain that also runs down your leg.
The pain can be mild to severe and might worsen with movement. For some the pain will be worse sitting while for others it will be worse while standing.
Sometimes, the pain will be associated with numbness, tingling or weakness in the leg or foot. Bowel and bladder problems are rare but should be considered serious. Sciatica should always be assessed by a professional.
What are the causes for sciatica?
Sciatica pain can be caused by several factors including:
- Pressure on a nerve by a disc, bone spur or tight muscle. (Classic sciatica)
- Referral (radiating) pain from muscles in the back or hip.
- Referral (radiating) pain from inflamed joints (eg. facet joints) in the back.
- Referral (radiating) pain from the hip joint.
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