What is sciatica?
Sciatica is pain resulting from irritation of the sciatic nerve.
The pain of sciatica is typically felt from the low back to behind
the thigh and radiating down below the knee. The sciatic nerve is
the largest nerve in the body and begins from nerve roots in the
lumbar spinal cord in the low back and extends through the buttock
area to send nerve endings down the lower limb.
What are causes of
sciatica?
While sciatica is most commonly a result of a disc herniation
directly pressing on the nerve, any cause of irritation or
inflammation of this nerve can reproduce the symptoms of sciatica.
These causes include irritation of the nerve from adjacent bone,
tumors, muscle, internal bleeding, infections, injury, and other
causes.
What are symptoms of sciatica?
Sciatica causes pain, a burning sensation, numbness, or tingling
radiating from the lower back and upper buttock down the back of
the thigh to the back of the leg. Severe sciatica can make walking
difficult if not impossible. Sometimes the symptoms of sciatica
are aggravated by walking or bending at the waist and relieved by
lying down.
How is
sciatica diagnosed?
Sciatica is diagnosed with a physical exam and medical history.
The typical symptoms and certain examination maneuvers help the
health-care practitioner to diagnose sciatica. Sometimes, X-rays,
films, and other tests, such as CT scan, MRI scan, and
electromyogram, are used to further define the exact causes of
sciatica.
Exams
and Tests?
Sciatica might be revealed by a neuromuscular examination of the
legs by a physician
There may be weakness of knee bending or foot movement, or
difficulty bending the foot inward or down. Reflexes may be
abnormal, with weak or absent ankle-jerk reflex. Pain down the leg
can be reproduced by lifting the leg straight up off the examining
table.
Tests are guided by the suspected cause of the dysfunction, as
suggested by the history, symptoms, and pattern of symptom
development. They may include various blood tests, x-rays, MRIs,
or other tests and procedures
Signs and tests
Sciatica might be revealed by a neuromuscular examination of the
legs by a physician. There may be weakness of knee bending or foot
movement, or difficulty bending the foot inward or down. Reflexes
may be abnormal, with weak or absent ankle-jerk reflex. Pain down
the leg can be reproduced by lifting the leg straight up off the
examining table.
Tests are guided by the suspected cause of the dysfunction, as
suggested by the history, symptoms, and pattern of symptom
development. They may include various blood tests, x-rays, MRIs,
or other tests and procedures.
Expectations (prognosis)
If the cause of the sciatic nerve dysfunction can be identified
and successfully treated, full recovery is possible. The extent of
disability varies from no disability to partial or complete loss
of movement or sensation. Nerve pain may be severe and persist for
a prolonged period of time.
Possible Complications
• Partial or complete loss of leg movement
• Partial or complete loss of sensation in the leg
• Recurrent or unnoticed injury to the leg
• Side effects of medications
How is
sciatica treated?
To gauge the outcome, both primary and secondary
measures were examined. The primary outcome measures were the
global assessments of improvement after two and 12 weeks by the
doctor and the patient. The secondary outcome measures were
changes in functional status and in pain scores, absenteeism from
work, and the need for surgical intervention. Neither the doctors
who assessed the outcomes nor those involved in data entry and
analysis were aware of the patients' treatment assignments.
The results, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine,
showed that after two weeks, 64 of the 92 (70%) patients in the
bed-rest group reported improvement, as compared with 59 of the 91
(65%) of the patients in the control (watchful-waiting) group.
After 12 weeks, 87% of the patients in both groups reported
improvement. The results of assessments of the intensity of pain,
the aggravation of symptoms, and functional status revealed no
significant differences between the two groups. The extent of
absenteeism from work and rates of surgical intervention were
similar in the two groups.
The researchers concluded that "among patients with symptoms and
signs of a lumbosacral radicular syndrome, bed rest is not a more
effective therapy than watchful waiting." Sometimes, conventional
wisdom is not as wise as research!
Other treatments for sciatica include addressing the underlying
cause, medications to relieve pain and inflammation and relax
muscles, and physical therapy. Surgical procedures can sometimes
be required for persisting sciatica that is caused by nerve
compression at the lower spine.
When to
Contact a Medical Professional
Call your doctor right away if you have:
• Unexplained fever with back pain
• Back pain after a severe blow or fall
• Redness or swelling on the back or spine
• Pain traveling down your legs below the knee
• Weakness or numbness in your buttocks, thigh, leg, or pelvis
• Burning with urination or blood in your urine
• Pain that is worse when you lie down, or awakens you at night
• Severe pain and you cannot get comfortable
• Loss of control of urine or stool (incontinence)
Also call if:
1. You have been losing weight unintentionally
2. You use steroids or intravenous drugs
3. You have had back pain before but this episode is different and
feels worse
4. This episode of back pain has lasted longer than 4 weeks
If any of these symptoms are present, your doctor will carefully
check for any sign of infection (such as meningitis, abscess, or
urinary tract infection), ruptured disk, spinal stenosis, hernia,
cancer, kidney stone, twisted testicle, or other serious problem.
Prevention
Prevention varies depending on the cause of the nerve damage.
Avoid prolonged sitting or lying with pressure on the buttocks.
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