Lower back sciatica is a condition that is caused by sciatic nerve pain. Look at the causes, signs and treatment and when to seek medical advice!
The back pain you’re feeling might be sciatica. The pain is caused by the sciatic nerve damage or injury. This nerve is extending basically all over your body, as it’s the longest nerve that you have in your body. It starts on your back, from the pelvis through the buttocks and ending at your feet, thus going through your legs as well.
Causes of lower back sciatica
Lower back sciatica is caused by injuries mostly, when you have a slipped disc. It might also be caused by other health problems, such as tumor, vertebra splitting out of its position, damaged or compressed spinal cord nerves or nerve passages in the spine narrowing.
All of these show practically the same symptoms; the most obvious one is back pain. Let’s see the others
Symptoms of back sciatica
- Back pain
- Legs pain
- Numbness
- Hip pain
- Calf or foot and ankle muscles pain
- Difficulty moving
- Tingling; either on your lower back, one of your feet or legs and toes
- Difficulty standing up
Seek medical help and advice when…
- The pain is unbearable
- The situation does not change for weeks
- You’ve lost bowel or bladder control
- You feel tingling in both of your legs
Tests, diagnosis and treatment
As soon as you come with a question about whether or not you have this condition, your doctor will run some tests. However, one simple test that your doctor will perform will do it: leg raise.
Once your doctor concludes that you’re having sciatica, he’ll recommend the proper treatment depending on the type of sciatica.
Treatments of different types of sciatica may include: exercises with a physiotherapist, doing exercises at home on your one (when the sciatica is mild), injections filled with anti-inflammatory medication or painkillers as pills or injections.
Breathe easily because no surgery is needed in this case. In fact, many researchers claim that surgery can make things worse. This is a condition that can be resolved by massages, exercises and pills. If you decide on going through a surgery, you’re taking your own risk. The chances are 50-50; you’ll either get rid of the pain forever or you might even get paralyzed if, God forbid, the surgery goes wrong.