7 Facts About Sciatica That You Should Know About

Sciatica is undeniably the burning, stinging pain that radiates down your leg like an electric shock from your low back. Sciatica is a prevalent condition that affects 10% to 40% of the population. Most people are aware that it may be excruciatingly painful, and in severe situations, it can prevent people from having a normal life. However, many of these people may not know what sciatica is. Here are seven facts about sciatica that you should know about.

1. Sciatica isn't just back pain

Lower back pain is one of the most common symptoms that sciatica can cause. In addition to pain, sciatica can also produce numbness, tingling, or a burning feeling. This sensation is frequently felt in the hip and down one of the legs. In some cases, sciatica can affect both sides.

2. Anything that irritates a nerve root can trigger sciatica

Compression linked with disc-related changes is a typical source of irritation. The good news is that nerve roots are tough; they almost always have some wiggle space, and certain disc-related alterations diminish with time, allowing nerve roots to heal. 

In some cases, nerve roots are irritated by inflammation without any compression, which can be just as painful. It is important to note that not all disc-related alterations will compress or irritate nerve roots. Many persons of various ages suffer disc-related alterations yet are pain-free.

3. Multiple diagnoses overlap with sciatica

Lumbar radiculopathy is the medical name for sciatica. It is also known as pinched or crushed nerve pain (originating in your lower spine). Some doctors will refer to the underlying cause of your sciatica, such as a herniated disc or spinal stenosis (narrowing of bony openings for nerves or the spinal cord). If you hear these phrases used together or interchangeably, don't worry—it doesn't always indicate you have four or five distinct diagnoses.

4. The sciatic nerve consists of five nerves

A sciatic nerve is a group of five nerves connecting on the lower spine's right and left sides. Technically, the fourth and fifth lumbar nerves, as well as the first three nerves in the sacral spine, connect and unite to form a single sciatic nerve.

5. The risk increases with height and weight

If you are tall or overweight, you may be at a higher risk of developing sciatica. This risk increases with age and is more common among men who are above 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) in height. People who are overweight and have sciatica due to disc herniation may also be at a higher risk of hospitalization and/or surgery for their sciatica pain.

6. Diabetes can cause pain similar to sciatica

If you have diabetes and have shooting leg pain, you may suspect sciatica. Diabetic nerve pain is similar to sciatic nerve pain, however, they are not the same. While sciatica involves compression of the sciatic nerve, diabetes can develop peripheral neuropathy that leads to burning, tingling, and shooting pain in one or both of your legs. 

Don't suppose you have sciatica if you have diabetes and leg pain. Instead, consult your doctor about determining the source of your pain since this will help lead your treatment approach.

7. Treatment is focused on the underlying cause

Sciatica is often caused by a lower back condition, such as herniated or degenerative discs, spinal stenosis, or spondylolisthesis (the slide of one vertebra over the one below it), to mention a few. To manage sciatica, it is critical to have a precise diagnosis of the underlying cause because each condition's therapy may be individual and distinct from the others.