Sciatica

1. Dealing with Sciatica Pain? Read This to Know All about

About

The pain affecting the sciatic nerve, from the lower back to each leg

In general, an estimated 5%–10% of patients with low back pain have sciatica.[1]

- Treatable by a medical professional
- Usually self-diagnosable
- Lab tests or imaging rarely required
- Medium-term: resolves within months

Sciatica typically affects only one side of your body and usually occurs in a herniated disk, bone spur on the spine, or the narrowing of the spine, called spinal stenosis, compresses a part of the nerve. Though the pain can be severe, it is mostly nonoperative, unless the pain causes leg weakness or bowel or bladder changes.

Ages affected: Ages between 18 and 40: often; Between 40 and 60+: more often

Symptoms:

Self-diagnosable
Symptoms include pain running from the lower back to either or both of the legs.

People may experience:
Pain areas: The back, buttocks, hip, or lower extremities
Pain types: Mild, severe, radiating, or sharp
Pain circumstances: Can occur due to injury or while sitting
Muscular: Difficulty in walking or muscle weakness
Sensory: Leg numbness or pins and needles
Also common: Burning sensation, foot numbness, or weakness

Treatment

Self-care: Using ice packs can help reduce inflammation and pain sensations. Physical exercise like stretching or aerobics for 20 minutes a day helps increase lower body movement.

Medication: Anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, muscle relaxants, and nerve pain medication can be used as per requirement and pain severity.

Specialists: For further medical assistance, consult an orthopedic surgeon or a physiotherapist. At mfine, you can get in touch with the best of experts and get treatment solutions that are best suited for you.