What is Sciatica?

Sciatica (sahy-at-i-cah) or Lumbar Radiculopathy is pain and tenderness at some point of the sciatic nerve. Usually sciatica begins at the hip down the back of the thigh and the surrounding area. Your sciatic nerve is one of the longest nerves in the human body. It starts at the lower back and runs through the buttock and down the lower limb. However sciatica is not a disease or illness, it is just a symptom or cause for another problem. The cause of this pain is usually connected to damage to your spine.
There a few causes that you can get sciatica from. The first is the most common; a "herniated disc." A herniated disc is explained as a ruptured or bulging disc from the spine's alignment. The second cause of sciatica is "Degenerative Disc Disease." This is where the disc become weak and is a precursor to the herniated disc. The third is "Lumbar Spinal Stenosis." This is usually a stress fracture in the fifth vertebrae (L5). Lumbar spinal stenosis is also known to be a narrowing of the spinal canal. The fourth cause for sciatica is "Nerve Root compression" or a pinched nerve. Lastly, a cause less visible to the eye is "Spinal Tumors, Infections, and/or Pregnancy."
In smaller cases of sciatica, a person will have tingling numbness through the buttocks and down the thigh. Some reports have even reached the toes. In more serious cases (as I had Monday evening), the buttocks and thigh come in stabbing pains. Also it is not uncommon in severe sciatica for the pain to stop the use of your leg; temporary paralysis. Basically, the severity of sciatica that I felt Monday was like a heavy weight was placed on my leg and couldn't be used. I would punch my leg and feel nothing.
Normal diagnosis of sciatica usually come from a physical exam and medical history. X-rays came out normal saying that my back was fine. This is where my doctor says that a M.R.I (magnetic resonance imaging) or Cat-scan would come into use. Since the x-ray does not show bone spurs, fractures, or a herniated disc, the M.R.I. is the needed procedure to check for tumors, infection, or anything that an x-ray will not show.
With sciatica, a person could develop bladder and/or bowel incontinence or dysfunction. A person with this problem should seek emergency help right away. This stage of the sciatica is called, "Cauda Equina Syndrome." This comes present with extreme versions of nerve compression and can lead to permanent damage of the bladder and/or bowel. Compression of the nerves in the lower portion of the spinal canal is considered a surgical emergency.
A person can also develop "Isthmic Spondylolisthesis." This is when one vertebral body slips forward on another because of a small fracture in a place where the bone connects the two joints on the back side of the spinal segment. This occurs when a person is much younger, usually 5 to 7 years of age, although the signs of this don't usually show until adulthood. Often there is not one main event that causes Sciatica.
A person with sciatica should alternate between heat and ice pads. Sitting usually brings on more pain than any other position. It is recommended to start stretching exercises, such as pulling your knees to your chest. The last recommendation I have found is to alternate laying down with short walks. Research shows us that in experimentation, a person who rests while having sciatica does not necessarily improve faster than a person who does not. Sciatica will cause both groups to miss quite a bit of work and other daily activities. Sciatica usually goes away in time. The average period a person suffers from sciatica is 2 to 12 weeks. Basically in my research, I have found you just have to wait it out.
Sciatica is just a symptom of a underlying, bigger problem. Pain treatment, physical therapy, and in severe cases, surgery. In non-surgical treatments, the goal is to cause relief of sciatic pain and prevention of future sciatic symptoms. Sciatica, on the surgical end, such as microdiscectomy or lumbar laminectomy and disectomy will have to be performed.
The basics of sciatica to understand is that it is a symptom of a problem. A symptom of something compressing or irritating the sciatic nerve roots. This is important to understand because the underlying problem will be the result that obtains the sciatic relief. Most people get over Sciatica in time and without surgical methods. To others however, Sciatica can be severe and debilitating.
When a person is diagnosed with Sciatica, they should alternate between laying down and standing, avoid sitting (unless more comfortable than standing), and alternate between hot and cold packs. This person should contact their "Primary Care Physician" to see what the underlying cause is and which route to take. A person could be referred to an Orthopedic or a Neurologist to obtain the results causing the Sciatica.