Sciatica Causes and Symptoms

Sciatica (often misspelled as “syatica” or “psyatica”) is pain that results from irritation of one of the sciatic nerves (one on the right and one on the left), and includes pain in the hip and buttock area that may extend partially or all the way down the back of the leg to the foot. The sciatic nerves start out as smaller nerve roots that branch off from the lower part of the spine. The component nerve roots come together in the pelvis to form the sciatic nerves. Each sciatic nerve then extends down the back of each thigh and divides into two parts below the knee and the two halves continue down the lower leg to the foot.

The sciatic nerve has a certain pain pattern to it. It is formed by five nerve roots (small nerves exiting the spinal column) from the lower spine. Two nerve roots from the last two Lumbar joints and first three of the sacrum nerve roots (the wedge shaped bone at the base of your spine). These nerve roots combine to form the sciatic nerve.

Sciatica can be a debilitating condition where movement and day to day life is painful. The pain radiates down the leg to the foot if severe, it makes a sickening type pain that affects you emotionally as much as it does physically. Although most of you will have heard the horror tales of how sciatica is caused by disc injuries, spinal stenosis or other major lower back pain issues.

Another thing that can cause sciatic nerve hurt is occupations such as truck driving, where you are sitting for long periods of time, and being bounced around at the same time, which puts pressure and stress on the sciatic nerve. Sciatic can also be caused by a herniated lumbar disc, in which case, merely performing sciatica stretches won’t help too much, and can in fact in up harming your sciatic nerve further.

Pain can be small-term and sharp, meaning acute; or, it may be dull, throbbing and last a long time, as in chronic pain. Back pain and sciatic nerve pain may also be a combination of sensations, as in acute/chronic back pain or dull/chronic sciatic nerve pain. Everyone who has experienced back pain and sciatica knows there are as many forms and levels of pain as there are days in the year, probably more!

The symptoms of right sciatica are very similar to piriformis syndrome. Both cause pain, tingling, burning, “electrical shock” sensations, and/or numbness down the leg, often all the way to the foot. In addition, both sciatica and piriformis syndrome tend to be at least partially related to biomechanical functional problems in the joints of the back and pelvis and they may even be present simultaneously in the same person, so it an be hard to tell them apart.

The best way to ease tension off the Piriformis muscle is to both stretch the muscle and to use Acupressure to reduce overall muscle tension. Stretching the muscle involves you lying on your back and pulling your knee towards your opposite shoulder. This stretches the Piriformis muscle; if you don’t feel tightness in your buttock then you need to use a different stretch.