Sciatica

Sciatica causes mild to severe nerve pain, as well as burning, electric, or other sensations, throughout the lower back, buttocks, hips, and down the legs. These sensations may be constant or intermittent and worsen based on your movements and posture.

Sciatica mainly occurs due to injury to or pressure against the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the body. The most common causes of sciatica are pressure against the sciatic nerve due to a herniated disk or overgrowth of bone. However, sciatica can occur due to a variety of causes, including:

You may also be more likely to develop sciatica based on certain risk factors, such as aging, obesity, past injuries to the spine or lower back, pregnancy, or frequent heavy lifting, as may occur in certain occupations.

Your doctor will initially test you for sciatica during a physical exam. From there, one or more of several different diagnostic tests may be performed, such as an x-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a computed tomography (CT) scan, or electromyography (EMG). These tests can give your doctor more detailed information about the area around the sciatic nerve, allowing them to more accurately determine what the cause of your sciatica may be.

Sciatica may be treated through medication, physical therapy, surgery, or a combination of these approaches. Medications provided for management of sciatica symptoms may include anti-inflammatories, corticosteroids, anti-seizure medication, or opioids. Physical therapy can help once the pain improves by helping you to prevent future injuries to the sciatic nerve.

Surgery may be recommended if these approaches do not provide effective relief for severe symptoms, or if your sciatica is causing severe weakness or a loss of bowel or bladder control. Procedures for sciatica generally involve removing a bone spur or part of a herniated disk that may be placing pressure on the sciatic nerve.