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When you feel pain on your back, tingling and burning sensation on your legs that affects only one side of the body, you probably have Sciatica. Sciatica, however is just a symptom for another medical condition, not a diagnosis itself.

Why Does My Back Hurt?

Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve is irritated. Located at the lower back running down to the back of the legs, the affected sciatic nerve may produce pain anywhere from the back, the buttocks, legs and even spreading through the foot. The inflammation due to the compressed and irritated nerves produces pain, sometimes numbness or tingling sensation. In most cases, sciatica affects only one side of the body.

 

Sciatica can be a symptom of herniated disk, a condition wherein the disk moves out of place or incur damages from an injury. Another condition associated with sciatica is spinal stenosis which occur when the spinal column narrows, putting pressure on the spinal cord and produces pain. 

 

Pregnancy may also cause sciatica, wherein the fetus presses against the sciatic nerve when the mother is sitting down. The growth of tumors on or near the sciatic nerves as well as spinal trauma caused by accidents and injuries are also causes for sciatica.

 

How Painful Can it Get?

 

Sciatica can produce mild to severe pain, and may affect anywhere from the back down to the foot. The location of the pain depends on which sciatic nerve is affected. Pain may also come in different forms – from the tingling and burning sensation, similar to needles pinned to your back or leg; to shooting sudden pain and numbness and feeling of weakness, making it difficult to stand or move. 

 

Sciatica is manifested when a patient feels pain on his back and/or back of the legs after sitting down or standing up. It gets even more painful at night, or when the patient coughs, laughs or sneezes. If sciatica is caused by spinal stenosis, or the narrowing of the spinal column, the patient feels pain after bending or walking even a short distance.

 

For some people, pain caused by sciatica can go away on its own even without medical treatment. The pain is tolerable enough allowing the patient to move his legs and back. However, this mild pain may get worse over time, prompting the patient to seek conservative treatment. However, some patients do suffer from debilitating pain that they are unable to move at all. When the pain is at its worst and affects the patient's performance of daily routine, surgery may be needed to remove the pressure on the affected sciatic nerve.

 

 

Diagnosing Sciatica

 

When pain at the back radiating towards the legs doesn't go away and occurs constantly, a consultation with a healthcare provider must be in order. Your doctor will conduct physical examination and laboratory tests to determine if the cause of pain is indeed caused by sciatica. Your doctor may ask you about the history of pain – when it started occurring, time of day, location of pain and the description of pain. Your doctor may then ask you to sit, walk, squat or raise your leg. Furthermore, your healthcare provider may subject you to MRI, x-ray and blood test.

 

How to Deal With Sciatica

 

Depending on the severity and recurrence of pain, treatment for sciatica may comprise conservative remedies to medical intervention.

 

Patients who experience mild, tingling pain may use the hot/cold compresses. The patient is advised to apply hot compress on the painful area for 72 hours, then cold compress for next 48 hours. If the hot/cold compress doesn't reduce or eliminate the pain, the patient may take over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen.

 

While the patient is discouraged from too much movement, especially those concerning the back and the legs, he or she is also discouraged from bed rest. Pain may become more pronounced when the body is not in motion. The patient can go on with his daily activities with caution, careful not to do sudden movements and heavy lifting. The patient may also do exercise that will help improve the spine's flexibility, after 2-3 weeks of conservative treatment. A physical therapist may also help with the rehabilitation of your spine and other areas affected by sciatica.

 

When to See a Healthcare Practitioner

 

Although sciatica is known to go away on its own, it can also recur. It is best to see a doctor right away if the pain becomes so persistent you are awakened or unable to sleep at night; if pain comes alongside with a fever; if you suffer from incontinence; if you feel that the spine is numb and swollen; if pain radiates to your legs, knees and foot and if you find blood in your urine.

 

Addressing the underlying condition is the best way to treat sciatica. Although some causes of pain cannot be prevented, such as an accident or injury, the patient may minimize the occurrence of sciatica by being careful with his movements, especially those that involve the back and the legs. Observing proper posture and assuming the correct lifting position, even for light items, can also help keep sciatica at bay.