by Jennifer Kirkman

Created on: October 08, 2009

Sciatica is very common with a lot of people out there. There is pain from sciatica that runs from your back within the lower section, and all the way down into the leg area. Sciatic pain tends to be in one path, running through the buttock area and on down into the rest of the leg. Some sciatic pain is mild, other sciatic pain is more bothersome and painful. Some people complain of only mild aches and others have agonizing pains that are not only burning, but sharp and intense as well.

Other sciatica symptoms may include, (1) numbness, (2) pins and needles feeling, (3) and there is sometimes a weakness too.

Sciatica occurs sometimes due to a herniated disc in the back, which would affect that part of the back. Other causes for it may be due to a tumor of the sciatic nerve or injury to that nerve. Lumbar spinal stenosis can also cause narrowing of the spinal canal, and as a result there is too much pressure which is affecting the roots of the nerves. Degenerative nerve disease may also bring on sciatica. That is known as spondylolisthesis. And there are also times when there is no real cause found for sciatica.

Treatment for sciatica involves some physical therapy. Your physical therapist can assign a number of stretching exercises that help the muscles and work on your posture as well. Doing your assigned exercises daily can help the sciatic injuries from coming back.

Anti-inflammatory pain medications help many people deal with their pain from sciatica. For pain relief only on a short term basis, narcotics may be given. Other prescription anti-inflammatory drugs may include some muscle relaxants, and the tricyclic antidepressants. These antidepressants also help manage pain as well as depression. Some doctors may also give anticonvulsant drugs to some patients.

If the pain you are having from sciatica is more severe, you and your doctor may make a decision on taking steroid injections. An injection that goes directly into the area of the pain help the pain problems by the reduction of inflammation in the affected muscles. Corticosteroid medicines do have their share of side effects, so whether or not the benefits would outweigh the risks is between you and your treating doctor.

Sometimes sciatica can be so severe and limit a person so much and even causes loss of bladder and bowel control. This is when a surgery known as laminectomy is called for. What happens in this surgery type also usually includes a diskectomy. That is where some portions of the offending disk are removed in order to provide relief from severe pain.

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