Sciatica
when the sciatic nerve becomes pinched usually by a herniated disc in your spine or by an overgrowth of bone as in bone spur on your vertebra more rarely the nerve can be compressed by a tumor or damaged by a disease such as diabetes.
Risk factors
Risk factors for sciatica include age age-related changes in the spine such as herniated discs and bone spurs are the most common causes of sciatica .Obesity by increasing the stress on your spine. Excess body weight can contribute to the spinal changes that trigger sciatica
occupation a job Sciatica that requires you to twist your back carry heavy loads or drive a motor vehicle for long periods might play a role in sciatica but there is no conclusive evidence of this link prolonged sitting. people who sit for prolonged periods are more likely to develop sciatica,then active people are diabetes this condition which the way your body uses blood .sugar increases your risk of nerve damage symptoms of sciatica. The main symptom is a shooting pain anywhere along the sciatic nerve from the lower back through the buttock and down the back of
Either leg other common symptoms of sciatica include numbness in the leg along the nerve tingling sensation as in pins and needles in the feet and toes.
This pain can range in severity and may be aggravated by sitting for long periods diagnosis during the physical exam.
your doctor may check your muscle strength and flexes for example you may be asked to walk on your toes or heels rise from a squatting position and while lying on your back. lift your legs one at a time pain that results from sciatica will usually worsen during these activities
Imaging tests many people have herniated discs or bone spurs that will show up on x-rays and other imaging tests but have no symptoms ,so doctors don't typically order these tests unless your pain is severe or it doesn't improve within a few weeks x-ray an x-ray of your spine may reveal an overgrowth of bone as in bone spur that may be pressing on a nerve MRI this procedure uses a powerful magnet and radio waves to produce cross-sectional images of your back.
MRI produces detailed images of bone and soft tissues such as herniated discs during the test you lie on a table that moves into the MRI machine CT scan. when a CT is used to image the spine you may have a contrast dye injected into your spinal canal before the x-rays are taken a procedure called a CT myelogram the dye then circulates around your spinal cord and spinal nerves which appear white on the scan. Electromyography or EMG this test measures the electrical impulses produced by the nerves and the responses of your muscles this test can confirm nerve compression caused by herniated discs or narrowing of your spinal canal also called spinal stenosis treatment if your pain doesn't improve with self-care measures your doctor might suggest some of the following treatments medications the types of drugs that might be prescribed for sciatica pain include anti-inflammatories muscle relaxants narcotics try silic antidepressants anti-seizure medications physical therapy once your acute pain. It proves your doctor or a physical therapist can design a rehabilitation program to help you prevent future injuries.
Steroid injections in some cases your doctor might recommend
injection of a corticosteroid medication into the area around the involved nerve root corticosteroids help reduce pain by suppressing inflammation around their iritated nerve surgery this option is usually reserved for when the compress nerve causes significant weakness loss of bowel or bladder control or when you have pain that progressively worsens or doesn't improve with other therapies surgeons can remove the bone spur or the portion of the herniated disk that's pressing on the pinched nerve.
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