The nerve that runs right from the lower back to the foot is called the sciatica nerve. It is the longest nerve found in the human body. Any kind of damage to this nerve can cause all kinds of pain and irritation in the feet, legs and buttock region of the body. This is called sciatica pain.
Causes of Sciatica
The most common cause of sciatica is a slipped disc. This slipped disc presses against the nerve and causes a lot of issues. Luckily, it is not very dangerous and usually does not lead to major problems like paralysis or a spinal injury. However, it can cause chronic pain and a lot of irritation.
Other causes of sciatica include:
• Arthritis and pinched nerves: The symptoms often start in the lower back region and then it goes down to the legs. Numbness also occurs in some cases.
• Spinal Stenosis: This occurs when the nerve channel narrows. This narrowing may lead to compression of the vertebral canal or the spinal cord. This problem is usually experienced by people who do a lot of manual work.
• Spondylolisthesis: This problem occurs when a vertebra is cracked, leading to it slipping over the vertebra below. Spondylolisthesis is often caused in people who have a weak posture or weak muscles in the abdomen.
• Piriformis: Piriformis occurs when these muscles touch or irritate the sciatica nerve. This problem commonly occurs in professional runners and women.
How to Cure Sciatica
Very often, sciatica simply gets healed over time. So the symptoms may last for a few months and then start to decrease and slowly disappear. However, recent studies have shown that in order to get rid of sciatica faster, exercise can help a lot. Ideally, start with some light exercise like a walk in the morning or evening. Once you can handle this without too much pain, try to graduate to running or swimming.
When a person suffers from sciatica, it is absolutely essential to stretch properly all the time. Also keep a check on your posture and visit a professional to get assistance on how to stretch properly so that you keep your muscles and nerves flexible.
If the symptoms are too much to handle, you can also look for pain relief medicines. However, get these from a professional medical practitioner and do not medicate yourself. Mild cases of sciatica can be managed with pain relievers like ibuprofen and aspirin. Amitriptyline, dothiepin and similar medicines are also prescribed in certain cases.
In cases where the pain is very severe, spinal injections may be given to the patient. However, it is essential to remember that all these drugs could have slight side effects like an upset stomach, vomiting or nausea so it is necessary to have them only when necessary.
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