Sciatica

Sciatica is a medical condition of pain going down the leg from the lower back. This pain may go down the back, outside, or front of the leg. Typically, symptoms are only on one side of the body. Certain causes, however, may result in pain on both sides.

- Dr Priya bhat

Sciatic pain can make life miserable. Walking, standing, and bending over, driving, working with a computer, catching up of household chores, sneezing or coughing and many other activities of daily living can cause sudden and intense pain. Patients who suffer sciatica, especially of a more acute nature, find the symptoms disrupt many aspects of their life.

Causes of sciatica:

Sciatica is a symptom caused due to inflammation of sciatic nerve. Sciatic nerve originates in a bundle of nerves in lower back and passes through the pelvis and down the back of each thigh. Additional common causes of sciatica include: narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back(Lumbar spinal stenosis), breakdown of discs, which act as cushions between the vertebrae (Degenerative disc disease), a condition in which one vertebra slips forward over another one (Spondylolisthesis), pregnancy as a result of the weight of the fetus pressing on the sciatic nerve and muscle spasm in the back or buttocks.