Sciatica: Causes and Treatments

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 Sciatica: Causes and Treatments






Sciatica refers to pain following the sciatic nerve's route—a large nerve that runs from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each leg. This pain often occurs when something irritates or puts pressure on the nerve roots in your lower spine. Common culprits include a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, or other spinal problems. People with sciatica often describe the pain as sharp, burning, or shooting, and it may be accompanied by numbness or muscle weakness in the affected leg.

Most of the time, doctors start treating sciatica with simple, non-surgical methods. These can include physical therapy, over-the-counter pain relievers like NSAIDs, and encouragement to stay active instead of spending too much time in bed. Research shows that no single conservative treatment stands out as the best, but the good news is that most people start to feel better within a few weeks without surgery.

Surgery is rarely the first choice. It's usually only considered for severe cases, like when someone has significant weakness or numbness, or when non-surgical treatments just aren't working after a few months. When surgery is needed, the goal is to remove whatever's pressing on the nerve, like a herniated disc. Surgery can sometimes provide faster relief, but long-term results are often comparable to those achieved with non-surgical options.

In short, sciatica is nerve pain caused by pressure or irritation of the sciatic nerve. Most people get relief with non-surgical treatments, and surgery is mainly reserved for rare, stubborn cases.

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