'TO GET IT AT 26 WAS UPSETTING'

A sedentary lifestyle and unsafe workouts are driving a rise in sciatica cases among the young

- Amrita Kaur

In 2021, after months of inactivity during the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Muhammad Zaki Saifee decided to hit the gym.

He attempted a set of dumbbell lunges, then woke up the next day with searing pain radiating from his lower back to his left calf.

“It was a seven out of 10 kind of pain,” says Mr Zaki, 28. “I thought it was just because I hadn’t exercised in a long time, so I brushed it off.”

For the next few years, the pain recurred every few months, usually after intense workouts following a period of rest.

But in early 2024, the discomfort escalated into something more serious. While at work, Mr Zaki, a product consultant in the IT industry, bent down to lift an object and suddenly froze mid-movement.

“I got stuck halfway. I couldn’t go up, I couldn’t go down. The pain was 10 out of 10. It was excruciating,” he recalls.

He took a cab to Mount Alvernia Hospital, where a physical checkup and scan revealed the cause - a herniated disc pressing on a nerve, resulting in sciatica.

Sciatica is a type of pain that occurs when the sciatic nerve – which runs from the lower back through the buttocks and legs – becomes compressed or irritated.

People often experience shooting pain, tingling, numbness or a burning sensation in the buttocks, thighs, calves or feet. The pain may worsen when sitting, coughing or sneezing, and it typically affects only one side of the body.

This can be caused by a herniated disc, spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spine that presses on nerves) or other conditions that put pressure on the nerve.

MORE YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THE CONDITION

Two doctors tell The Straits Times that they are now seeing more young patients with the condition traditionally associated with older adults. This is linked to factors such as a sedentary lifestyle, sudden bursts of exercise, poor form at the gym and bad posture.