“What are the main factors causing sciatica in people?”

Hey great question!

So sciatica is a condition where the sciatic nerve becomes irritated. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body and because of this it serves lots of different areas in our legs. The sciatic nerve could be irritated from a herniated disc, local inflammation, disc degeneration, arthritis, or spinal stenosis.

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Sciatica is a medical term that refers to pain that radiates down the course of the 'sciatic nerve'. The sciatic nerve is a large nerve that is comprised of the nerve roots of the last 3 lumbar vertebrae. It travels through the hip and then sends branches down the leg. There are many reasons why a person will have 'sciatica' like symptoms. An xray may reveal arthritic changes in the spine with narrowing of the foramen where the nerve root exists the spine. An MRI may reveal there is a disc that is herniated or protruding into the space where the nerve occupies. More often than not, the pain is more of a muscular origin, either coming from the back or from a muscle deep in the back of the hip called the Piriformis. The Piriformis lies directly over the sciatic nerve as it transverses through the back of the hip and can put 'pressure' on the nerve if it is tight. Managing this condition is often a combination of stretching the hip, and strengthening the abdominal and core muscles to support the spine and pelvis in optimal alignment. Once the symptoms are reduced it will be necessary to continue the exercises and maintain good postural alignment in order to prevent the pain from recurring.

Sciatica is a condition that typically results from pressure on the nerve. The best way to manage it is through conservative exercise. There are many types of exercises that may be beneficial and some that may exacerbate her pain. The smartest thing to do is have an evaluation performed by a physical therapist in order to determine the best approach.

Symptoms radiating down the leg, which is commonly known as sciatica, can be caused from 3 main factors. Vertebral disc herniating and compressing nerve, stenosis causing compression of the spinal nerves and if symptoms don’t cross below the knee it can be facet arthritis . If it’s your mom, and she is over the age of 50, it’s more than likely stenosis. Good thing is that physical therapy that helps improve mobility and stability that can significantly help. And just being active is very helpful. Some people may need epidurals/facet injections, medications, and surgery however that should be the last resort considering there is a growing body of evidence showing physical therapy is as good or even superior to more aggressive treatments. If your mother’s legs are giving way, she has had changes in bladder and bowel function, or she has sensory changes to her genitalia, you need to seek medical treatment immediately. If not, get evaluated by a competent physical therapist

Sciatica tends to be a term used for pain believed to be originating from some sort of irritation to the sciatic nerve. There can be many reasons that tissues in our body become sensitive and that our brain interprets that stimulus as pain. However, it is important to keep moving!!! PT’s are great at helping people that are suffering from back pain as they have unique training in assessing and successfully treating symptoms of “sciatica”. Doctor’s of Physical Therapy specializing in spinal or orthopedic conditions would be a great place to start your mother’s recovery.

Hope that helps!