Sciatica is a condition where the sciatic nerve or nerves that extend from the lower back or hips to the feet are disturbed. This condition is usually very painful and will improve in 4-6 weeks or can last longer. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body that functions to control the muscles in the back of the knee and lower leg and gives a response to the back of the thighs, the bottom of the foot and the sole of the foot. When this nerve is disturbed, a person will experience sciatica. Sciatica usually occurs in people aged 30 to 50 years. You can know more on emily lark.
Sciatica is usually characterized by pain that flows from the lower back through the buttocks area to the lower limbs. Sciatica is the result of damage or injury to the sciatic nerve, so that other symptoms of nerve damage usually arise accompanied by pain. Other symptoms of sciatica include:
The pain is getting worse when moving
Numbness or weakness in the foot that feels along the sciatic nerve pathway. In severe cases, a person will experience paralysis.
The sensation of being pricked up involves painful tingling in the toes or soles and instep.
This usually occurs due to herniation (tissue displacement) of the spinal discs or because of excessive bone growth in the vertebra (bones of the spine).
Risk factors for sciatica include:
Age-related spinal changes like spinal disc herniation and overgrowth of the vertebra are the most common causes of sciatica.
With increasing pressure on the spine, being overweight can contribute to spinal changes that trigger sciatica.
Work that requires turning your back, lifting heavy weights, or sitting for long periods of time.
Smoking can cause the outer lining of the spinal disc to be damaged.
Sciatica has symptoms that vary in each person and depends on the cause of the sciatica. To diagnose this condition, the doctor will ask for a complete history of your illness, this includes whether you have had a recent injury, where the location of the pain is, and how the pain feels. In addition, conditions that cause pain to improve and worsen, when and how it happens. The doctor will check the strength and reflexes of the patient’s muscles. For example, patients will be asked to walk on tiptoes or rise from a squatting position.