Sciatica

It is important to pay attention to the pains in your body so that you can locate where the pain is and thus assess what the problem is. Back pain is often attributed to bulging discs, herniated discs or damaged discs. Another common reason that people experience back pain is due to sciatica. The most prevalent symptom of sciatica is a constant pain on one side of the buttocks and extending down one leg.

The pain is a sharp, shooting pain feeling that makes it difficult to stand or sit. There may also be a weakness or numbness or tingling in the affected leg and/or foot. Sciatica is pain and discomfort resulting from an irritation to the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the entire body. This begins in the lumbar spinal cord where its roots are located and travels all the way down to the buttocks region.

The pain of sciatica comes when a root of the nerve is somehow pinched or otherwise irritated. Most often this is caused by a disc in the spine has slipped out of its normal position in the spinal column of the vertebrae and is putting pressure or pinching the root of the nerve in the lower back. The nerve is responsible for the feeling of that leg. Sciatica is actually a word used to describe a set of symptoms arising from the irritation of the sciatic nerve.

The cause of the irritation, however, can be any combination of things. Pain caused by sciatica is most usually in the hip and extends to the calf of one or the other leg. It can reach as high up as the lower back and as low as the foot. The pain can also be joined by trouble controlling the leg and numbness in the leg or foot. Sciatica is most often seen in people ranging in age from 30 to 50. It is usually the result of normal wear and tear of sports or work activities after a number of years.

It does not usually result in the need of surgery and can be treated successfully otherwise. Sciatica is most often the result of an injury to the sciatic nerve. If you spend a lot of time sitting or standing where pressure is applied to the nerve root, this can also be a cause of sciatica. It is also possible to cause irritation or inflammation to the sciatic nerve from a tumor in other foreign entity in the body.

It is possible to be tested for sciatica by having an EMG, which is a recording of electrical activity in the muscles, or a nerve conduction test. Some anti-inflammatory drugs may be used or it may be necessary to surgically remove a tumor or other lesion. Sciatica treatment is varied and dependent upon the reason for the condition. The product PAINenz from MedGen contains capsaicin which is a powerful, effective pain reliever. This roll-on, topical analgesic provides a targeted approach to sciatica pain relief.

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