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If you feel pain on your lower middle back when you bend or stretch and it radiates down to your legs, then you might be experiencing sciatica. But what is sciatica? It is a pain manifestation which resulted from the irritation of the sciatic nerve. The pain usually begins at the lower middle back and may extend down to the calf and foot depending on the affected nerve root. Sciatica is not a disorder by itself but a symptom resulted from another medical condition. People who are usually affected by sciatica are suffering from a herniated disc. Any factor which directly inflicts irritation and inflammation on the sciatic nerve produces the symptoms of sciatica.

The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. Its nerve roots run from the lumbar spinal cord located at the lower back extending through the buttocks, hips and lower limb. When this nerve becomes inflamed or irritated it produces pain that resembles like a leg cramp. It makes neither sitting nor standing difficult due to the intensity of pain it inflicts. Typically the pain is aggravated when sitting, sneezing or coughing. Pain in acute sciatica usually lasts for four to eight weeks and diminishes on its own depending on the causative agent.

Sciatica is often caused by the slipping of discs. It is common in people between the ages of 30-50 partly because of aging. The general wear and tear of the surrounding muscle of the back can easily be affected by any sudden pressure on the disks. The disks serve as a cushion of the bone in the lower spine and if it deteriorates may result to the symptom of sciatica; the intensity of pain inflicted by sciatica varies.

The compression of the sciatic nerve gives rise to sciatica. When the disc slips or bulges, pain at the lower back is the first symptom that is being manifested. Its symptoms may include burning sensation, numbness and tingling sensation.

Diagnosis of sciatica normally includes a thorough medical assessment. Generally, the doctor explains how the pain started and its common symptoms. Proper knowledge and awareness are vital for the patient to clearly understand what is sciatica and how does it affect them. The doctor may also have to review its signs and symptoms through a physical assessment. Physical exam will help determine its cause to be able to give a concrete prognosis. The test is also used to pinpoint the affected nerves. Other tests such as x-ray and MRI may be recommended for further evaluation.

Basically the main goal of treatment for sciatica is to decrease pain intensity and increase mobility. The cure for sciatica would normally involve rehabilitation, surgery and medical management. If sciatica goes untreated it might lead to a chronic condition and further complications. Acute sciatica condition usually goes away with proper rest and time, without the need for surgery or any medical management. There are ways to help prevent sciatica like regular exercise to strengthen the back muscles and maintaining proper body posture at all times.

Pain caused by sciatica is felt deep inside the leg and can be incredibly crippling. Sciatica can also cause tingling, numbness or weakness in the leg or a sharp burning feeling all of which are uncomfortable. Achieving sciatica pain relief permanently involves targeting the cause of the sciatica and treating the cause, otherwise pain alleviation may only be temporary.

Water is More Than Just a Drink.

Dehydration can cause stomach problems joint and back pain and contribute to weight problems.

Humans can only tolerate a 12% loss of water. That takes about five days (less for children). This should be all I need to say about water, except that most of us do not know when we are dehydrated.

Coffee, tea, lemonade, juice, beer, wine, although tasty are not the same as drinking water, because they have a dehydrating effect. If we choose drinks other that water, we reduce the natural thirst but still become dehydrated without being aware of this.

Test: Pinch the skin on the back of your hand. Watch how quickly it returns to normal. If the skin returns slowly, you are dehydrated.

Symptoms that can occur if you are dehydrated:

Gastritiscolitisheartburnulcerationhiatusherniamorning sickness

Why? Because the mucous membrane that lines and protects the stomach needs to be well- hydrated. This stops the stomach acid from penetrating into the delicate membrane and virtually digesting itself, causing inflammation and even ulceration. Water is vital to the proper peristaltic movement of the bowel and to the efficient opening and closing of valves (Houston, pyloric, oesophagus) throughout the system. If these valves stick matter can move between the segments of the intestine. High levels of acid can flow into the small intestine causing ulceration or into the oesophagus causing heartburn. Toxins can flow back from the large intestine to the small intestine.

Joint painarthritisback and neck painsciatica

Why? Because the cartilage surfaces of the bones in the joints should contain fluids. This acts to lubricate the surface so that the bones can glide smoothly during movement of the joint. It is normal for some exposed cells to die and peel away and then new ones take their place. If the cartilage is dehydrated the cell damage is increased and becomes more prolific than new cells can be replenished. This causes inflammation, the body's warning sign of trouble. The body does have a backup system for this cell loss. Remodelling hormones take over to repair the joint. Unfortunately, the repair is often rough and not symmetrical causing further inflammation and arthritis.

Sciatica: most of the weight of the human body is supported by the lumbar spine, particularly the discs or cushions between the vertebra. Water in conjunction with movement helps to keep the discs plump, maintaining a healthy distance between the vertebra and the spinal nerves that originate from them. Impingement of the sciatic nerve by the unhealthy discs causes pain in the buttock and down the leg.

Weight problems

Why? Because the brain has an insatiable need for energy. The need for this energy is conveyed to us by two sensations, thirst and hunger. When we feel the need to eat should we be having a glass of water? Try drinking water every two or three hours, it you are a small person use a small glass, if you are a larger person use a larger glass. If you have been very hot or exercising have an extra glassful.

Trigger points in other muscles in the buttocks and upper thigh can cause referred pain in the side of the leg that may be mistaken for sciatica as well. It should be kept in mind that true sciatica and piriformis syndrome are associated with symptoms that are primarily felt in the back of the leg. If symptoms are in the front or side of the leg, there's a good chance that the problem is not sciatica.

Sciatica (often misspelled as syatica or psyatica) is pain that results from irritation of one of the sciatic nerves (one on the right and one on the left), and includes pain in the hip and buttock area that may extend partially or all the way down the back of the leg to the foot. The sciatic nerves start out as smaller nerve roots that branch off from the lower part of the spine. The component nerve roots come together in the pelvis to form the sciatic nerves. Each sciatic nerve then extends down the back of each thigh and divides into two parts below the knee and the two halves continue down the lower leg to the foot.

While there are several possible causes of sciatica, by far the most common source of sciatic nerve irritation is a bulging or herniated disc in the lower lumbar spine. A damaged disc may bulge into the opening where one of the nerve roots exits the spine on it's way to join other nerve roots as part of the sciatic nerve. The bulging disc may create direct nerve pressure, and/or may trigger inflammation and swelling, which can also cause pressure on the nerve. When this occurs, pain and other symptoms may be felt part along the course of the sciatic nerve, starting in the buttock area and possibly running down the leg, sometimes all the way to the foot.

Besides disc bulges, spinal openings for nerves may be narrowed by bone spurs or other bone formations related to spinal degeneration. In some cases, sciatica may result from direct trauma to the nerve after it exits the pelvis, such as what can happen if there is a direct impact or hard pressure applied in the lower buttock region. Rare sources of sciatica can include spinal tumors, which can compress sciatic nerve roots as they exit the spine. Another rare cause of sciatica is a cyst or tumor that compresses the sciatic nerve in the hip or knee area.

Not every buttock or leg pain that people think is sciatica is actually sciatica. True sciatica (sciatic nerve irritation) is usually felt mostly in the back of the leg (not the front or side of the leg). The symptoms of true sciatica can take different forms and may be described as tingling, burning, stabbing, aching, electric shock, numbness, or heaviness. But even if symptoms seem like sciatica, they are not always due to actual irritation of the sciatic nerve.

One common condition that closely mimics sciatica is caused by knots of contraction called trigger points in a muscle called the piriformis. The piriformis muscles are located on either side of the lower buttock area, running from the upper thigh bone to the edge of the sacrum (the triangular pelvic bone that is at the base of the spine). In addition to causing symptoms that mimic sciatica, tightness in the piriformis muscle may also cause true sciatic irritation, because the sciatic nerve actually runs through the center of the piriformis muscle in some people, and can be compressed by excessive muscle contraction.

Trigger points in other muscles in the buttocks and upper thigh can cause referred pain in the side of the leg that may be mistaken for sciatica as well. It should be kept in mind that true sciatica and piriformis syndrome are associated with symptoms that are primarily felt in the back of the leg. If symptoms are in the front or side of the leg, there's a good chance that the problem is not sciatica.

Treatment of sciatica is usually associated with treating a bulging disc. The first line of treatment is usually an attempt to reduce inflammation to reduce pressure on the nerve by means of oral medications. For more powerful anti-inflammatory effects, spinal injections with steroids like cortisone may be used. A variety of other types of treatment may also be used, such as physical therapy, massage, chiropractic or osteopathic spinal manipulation, acupuncture, or one of the newest forms of treatment, spinal decompression. In some situations, surgery may be recommended as a last resort.

In the majority of cases, an episode of sciatica will resolve even without any treatment within a period of several weeks, but due to the intensity of pain, most patients will not wait for it to go away on its own and seek out treatment. Unfortunately, due to misconceptions by doctors and patients alike regarding the nature of sciatica, the necessary steps to prevent a return of sciatica are usually not taken. So, even though most people do recover from a bout of sciatica, nearly all will eventually have problems again at some point. Even sciatica sufferers initially treated successfully with surgery will often have future problems with sciatica.

Sciatica (often misspelled as syatica or psyatica) is pain that results from irritation of one of the sciatic nerves (one on the right and one on the left), and includes pain in the hip and buttock area that may extend partially or all the way down the back of the leg to the foot. The sciatic nerves start out as smaller nerve roots that branch off from the lower part of the spine. The component nerve roots come together in the pelvis to form the sciatic nerves. Each sciatic nerve then extends down the back of each thigh and divides into two parts below the knee and the two halves continue down the lower leg to the foot.

While there are several possible causes of sciatica, by far the most common source of sciatic nerve irritation is a bulging or herniated disc in the lower lumbar spine. A damaged disc may bulge into the opening where one of the nerve roots exits the spine on it's way to join other nerve roots as part of the sciatic nerve. The bulging disc may create direct nerve pressure, and/or may trigger inflammation and swelling, which can also cause pressure on the nerve. When this occurs, pain and other symptoms may be felt part along the course of the sciatic nerve, starting in the buttock area and possibly running down the leg, sometimes all the way to the foot.

Besides disc bulges, spinal openings for nerves may be narrowed by bone spurs or other bone formations related to spinal degeneration. In some cases, sciatica may result from direct trauma to the nerve after it exits the pelvis, such as what can happen if there is a direct impact or hard pressure applied in the lower buttock region. Rare sources of sciatica can include spinal tumors, which can compress sciatic nerve roots as they exit the spine. Another rare cause of sciatica is a cyst or tumor that compresses the sciatic nerve in the hip or knee area.

Not every buttock or leg pain that people think is sciatica is actually sciatica. True sciatica (sciatic nerve irritation) is usually felt mostly in the back of the leg (not the front or side of the leg). The symptoms of true sciatica can take different forms and may be described as tingling, burning, stabbing, aching, electric shock, numbness, or heaviness. But even if symptoms seem like sciatica, they are not always due to actual irritation of the sciatic nerve.

One common condition that closely mimics sciatica is caused by knots of contraction called trigger points in a muscle called the piriformis. The piriformis muscles are located on either side of the lower buttock area, running from the upper thigh bone to the edge of the sacrum (the triangular pelvic bone that is at the base of the spine). In addition to causing symptoms that mimic sciatica, tightness in the piriformis muscle may also cause true sciatic irritation, because the sciatic nerve actually runs through the center of the piriformis muscle in some people, and can be compressed by excessive muscle contraction.

Trigger points in other muscles in the buttocks and upper thigh can cause referred pain in the side of the leg that may be mistaken for sciatica as well. It should be kept in mind that true sciatica and piriformis syndrome are associated with symptoms that are primarily felt in the back of the leg. If symptoms are in the front or side of the leg, there's a good chance that the problem is not sciatica.

Treatment of sciatica is usually associated with treating a bulging disc. The first line of treatment is usually an attempt to reduce inflammation to reduce pressure on the nerve by means of oral medications. For more powerful anti-inflammatory effects, spinal injections with steroids like cortisone may be used. A variety of other types of treatment may also be used, such as physical therapy, massage, chiropractic or osteopathic spinal manipulation, acupuncture, or one of the newest forms of treatment, spinal decompression. In some situations, surgery may be recommended as a last resort.

In the majority of cases, an episode of sciatica will resolve even without any treatment within a period of several weeks, but due to the intensity of pain, most patients will not wait for it to go away on its own and seek out treatment. Unfortunately, due to misconceptions by doctors and patients alike regarding the nature of sciatica, the necessary steps to prevent a return of sciatica are usually not taken. So, even though most people do recover from a bout of sciatica, nearly all will eventually have problems again at some point. Even sciatica sufferers initially treated successfully with surgery will often have future problems with sciatica.

In the majority of cases, an episode of sciatica will resolve even without any treatment within a period of several weeks, but due to the intensity of pain, most patients will not wait for it to go away on its own and seek out treatment. Unfortunately, due to misconceptions by doctors and patients alike regarding the nature of sciatica, the necessary steps to prevent a return of sciatica are usually not taken. So, even though most people do recover from a bout of sciatica, nearly all will eventually have problems again at some point. Even sciatica sufferers initially treated successfully with surgery will often have future problems with sciatica.

Pain caused by sciatica is felt deep inside the leg and can be incredibly crippling. Sciatica can also cause tingling, numbness or weakness in the leg or a sharp burning feeling all of which are uncomfortable. Achieving sciatica pain relief permanently involves targeting the cause of the sciatica and treating the cause, otherwise pain alleviation may only be temporary.

Sciatica refers to damage or pressure involving the sciatic nerve which is the largest nerve in the body. It runs from the bottom of the spine, through the hip joint, knee and ankle. Damage or pressure on the sciatic nerve can be caused by a variety of reasons and needs to be investigated in order for sciatica pain relief to be obtained on a permanent basis.

Temporary sciatica pain relief can involve taking anti-inflammatory medication or pain killers. In more serious cases cortisone injections may be administered. Placing hot or cold ice packs on the painful area as well resting the affected area may also be recommended to aid in reducing inflammation and help with alleviating pain.

However sciatica, which is a type of neuralgia, is often considered a symptom of a cause. Sciatica can be as a result of many things including piriformis syndrome, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, slipped or herniated disk, tumors, osteoporosis, and pregnancy among others. Many of these causes of sciatica are further caused by other factors. Each of these causes needs to be looked at carefully in order to treat sciatica and help with sciatica pain relief on a more permanent basis if the pain does not ease up.

Often physical therapists can be recommended for sciatica pain relief as they can help with stretches and strengthening exercises that may target some of the sciatica causes. Piriformis syndrome can be relieved by stretching the tense piriformis muscle and strengthening the surrounding gluteal muscles to give the hip area support, taking strain off the piriformis muscle and ultimately the sciatic nerve. When sciatica is caused by back problems such as a herniated disk or spondylolisthesis, strengthening the muscles in the lower back will help relieve any pressure on the sciatic nerve which has been placed on it due to weakness in the back. A herniated disk refers to when a disk in the back has slipped or pushed on to the muscle from straining the back, a sports injury or moving in an unusual way. Spondylolisthesis refers to a vertebra slipping onto another vertebra. Physical therapists may also recommend massaging around the area where the cause of the sciatica is to relieve muscle tension, which may also aid sciatica pain relief.

In more extreme cases of sciatica when the pain can not be kept at bay and someone suffers from it continuously, surgery may be considered as a way to treat the cause of the sciatica. If spinal stenosis is the cause, which refers to a narrowing of the spinal canal, surgery may be a way to physically take pressure off the spinal cord and ultimately the lower back, relieving pressure on the sciatic nerve and promoting sciatica pain relief. Surgery may also be used to physically loosen the pirformis muscle, undoing its hold on the sciatic nerve as well as repairing the vertebra that has slipped onto another vertebra in the case of spondylolisthesis. It may also be a way to remove a possible tumor, which could be pushing on the sciatic nerve. However surgery would be a last resort as a means of alleviating sciatica pain and help with sciatica pain relief.

Sciatica pain relief can be achieved temporarily with painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication as well as hot packs and ice packs. However if the pain increases, it is recommended that you consult your physician immediately to locate the cause of the sciatica and target it to achieve ultimate sciatica pain relief.

Why? Because the mucous membrane that lines and protects the stomach needs to be well- hydrated. This stops the stomach acid from penetrating into the delicate membrane and virtually digesting itself, causing inflammation and even ulceration. Water is vital to the proper peristaltic movement of the bowel and to the efficient opening and closing of valves (Houston, pyloric, oesophagus) throughout the system. If these valves stick matter can move between the segments of the intestine. High levels of acid can flow into the small intestine causing ulceration or into the oesophagus causing heartburn. Toxins can flow back from the large intestine to the small intestine.

What is sciatica? Sciatica is one of the most difficult conditions for medical practitioners, even those experienced in treating back pain and sciatica patients, to identify and treat. Sciatica often presents itself as a tingling and/or numbness, not unlike the feeling one may experience with a pulled hamstring muscle, the biceps femoris at the back of the leg. The sensation may be dull, almost an ache, with periods of tingling and/or numbness occurring during certain activities. The tingling and/or numbness experienced, if not treated, may develop into a full-blown chronically acute phase with pain shooting across the buttocks and radiating down the leg. Sciatica may affect one or both legs, usually one, beginning as a pain radiating from some point in the lower back, the lumbar spine, then across the gluteal muscles (the buttocks), and finally down the back of the leg. In advanced cases, sciatica reaches all the way into the feet and toes, causing discomfort and an eventual loss of feeling.

Interestingly, sciatica is not a specific condition, it is simply a catch-all medical term applied to a constellation of symptoms in order to describe a state the back pain sufferer is in. In this case, sciatica is used to describe a patient's complaint of pain radiating across the buttocks, down the leg, and into the feet and toes...along with the associated tingling and/or numbness. Sciatica may be caused by a number of conditions, from stress and trauma at a specific location on the spine, the lower back or lumbar curvature, to a more generalized condition such as obesity or pregnancy. There are a number of other conditions associated with sciatica, all requiring varying degrees of medical intervention and treatment. Some of the conditions likely to present with sciatica are:

1. Osteomyelitis: An infection of the bone or bone marrow. Osteomyelitis may be debilitating and in extreme cases may even cause death. It is difficult to diagnose and may go undetected for a long time unless appropriate blood tests are ordered and the medical practitioner is well trained in infectious diseases affecting the bones.

2. Tumors on or near the spine: Tumors, particularly tumors or abnormal growth (e.g., scar tissue) affecting the nerves or nerve roots as they exit the spinal canal and intervertebral foramen, will sciatic nerve pain or sciatica.

3. Degenerative Disc Disease: Once again, degenerative disc disease is not a disease any more than sciatic nerve pain, called sciatica, is a specific condition. Degenerative disc disease is a breakdown of the IVDs, the intervertebral discs, and is usually a consequence of aging combined with the any or all of the 5 principal factors affecting the spine as we age.

o Excess weight and/or obesity

o Muscle weakness

o Muscle Imbalance

o Inadequate nutrition and diet

o Inadequate hydration or dehydration

4. Herniated (i.e., ruptured) or bulging disc: This condition may be particularly problematic if the herniated disc or bulging disc is protruding posteriorly (to the back) and into the spinal canal, or impinging on the nerve root at the intervertebral foramen, thus placing pressure on the spine and/or nerve root; and, sciatica is the result in many instances.

5. Piriformis syndrome: We will cover the piriformis syndrome and how it relates to sciatica in depth in a subsequent video and article. Recent research has demonstrated that this little-known syndrome, at least in the lay community, may be a factor in as many as eight out of ten sciatica cases. The piriformis muscle works particularly hard in runners and others who are physically active, often resulting in RMI or repetitive motion injury.

6. Spinal stenosis: This is a narrowing of the spinal canal and/or intervertebral foramen. In fact, any narrowing of a structure can be defined broadly as a stenosis. The stenosis, the narrowing affects and/or obstructs the pathway for nerves, thus exacerbating pain...in this case creating the sciatic nerve pain associated with sciatica.

7. Spondylolysis: In layman's terms, it is a stress fracture at the back of the vertebra, the vertebral body (the front part) breaks away from the back part of the vertebra (everything else). In osteological terms, the break occurs at the pars interarticularis of the vertebra, usually at the fifth lumbar vertebra, the last vertebra before the lumbar spine articulates with the sacrum or tailbone. This is usually associated with spondylolisthesis, the next contributor to sciatic nerve pain.

8. Spondylolisthesis: Usually associated with spondylolysis in younger back pain and sciatica patients but may present without spondylolysis in older adults. Spondylolisthesis is the result of an anterior (forward) shift in the vertebra body, in fact the entire vertebra when spondylolysis is absent, or the vertebral column in relationship to the remainder of the vertebral column below. There are a number of reasons why this condition may occur but in younger patients it is usually found with spondylolysis. We will discuss this condition in depth in a subsequent article and video but suffice it to say that any change in the overall structure of the spine, particularly at the lumbar curvature, will create sciatic nerve pain.

9. Trauma: Trauma and stress go hand in hand when it comes to back pain and sciatica. Trauma may be localized, meaning the spine will take the brunt of the stress at a specific location, or it may be generalized and affect several levels simultaneously. The better equipped we are in terms of muscle strength, muscle balance (or imbalance), and the other factors affecting spine health, the better equipped we will be to handle appropriate levels of stress. The IVDs are remarkably resilient and very strong but if the discs undergo change as a result of any of the 5 factors listed above, or the traumatic event is profound enough, damage to the spine may occur; and, sciatica may be the outcome. In this case, a medical practitioner should always be the first step in any bad back treatment strategy.

In reality, any one of the factors above, or several of the above mentioned conditions together, may cause low back pain and sciatica. Sciatica is, once again, the presentation of a specific type of pain. The actual condition causing the sciatic nerve pain may be any of the above or a number of other conditions not discussed here; these are some of the main ones.