What is Sciatica?
What is Sciatica?
“My sciatica is acting up” is a common phrase. People generally use the word to describe
butt pain, back pain or leg pain. To a
doctor, sciatica refers to pain travelling down one side of the lower
back and or butt down the back of the leg.
Sciatica may stop mid hamstring or continue to the calf and foot. The term refers to the path of the sciatic
nerve, a large nerve bundle that carries sensory (what you feel) and motor (how
you move) nerves down the leg from the lower spine. It is the thickest nerve in the body.
Sciatica is a broad term which does not specify the cause of
the pain; rather, it is a description of symptoms. Sciatica can result from any of the
following:
A pinched nerve in the spine due to a disc, arthritis, or
spine slippage
A gluteus or pyriformis (buttock) muscle injury or spasm
A hamstring injury
A soft tissue injury to the hip such as a labral tear
Pressure on the sciatic nerve along its path through the
pelvis from any cause

If ignored, sciatica pain often causes other joint trouble. Limping to avoid pain can lead to a rotated
pelvis, excess stress on the opposite hip and knee, and twisted dysfunctional
posture. This can begin a never-ending
cycle of pain that may take twice as long to recover from as the sciatica cause
itself.
With the right diagnosis and treatment, sciatica will
resolve. Strengthening and stretching is
always essential to recovery. Consider a
maintenance exercise and stretching routine to prevent sciatica from
returning. Modifying irritating
activities are also important to full recovery.
Spine straining exercises such as rowing, medicine ball twists and
throws, and heavy lifting may need to be eliminated from your work-out routine
for life. Be wary of moving furniture or
lifting heavy items. Especially avoid
combining Bending, Lifting and Twisting motions (BLT). As with all injury prevention, listen to your
body and stop if you feel pain.
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