Causes and Identification Of Sciatica and Sciatic Inflammation

Written By Chouhab on mardi 27 janvier 2009 | 09:06

By Jim Fillsons

A few years ago, I had a flair up of sciatica that nearly put me out of commission. In fact, I thought it was going to drive me to the loony bin! I have an inside desk job, and sitting on my left side was so painful that I wanted to put my fist through the wall some days. I was eventually diagnosed with sciatic nerve inflammation or sciatica. But where did it come from and how did I get it?

For the most part, people who have sciatica will tend to complain of a shooting pain down their backside, down the leg and into the heal. Some folks feel the pain running deeper, while others feel it just in certain areas, but it is always on the back side. Some people also say that they experience numbing or even tingling that radiates down the back end. It can always get worse with stress.

Sciatica is caused by any number of reasons but the main one is from physical strain over the years of one's life. Some of the more common ones are bad posture both in sitting and sleeping, muscle strains from sports or other strenuous activities or other physical maladies. All of these add up to extra stress on the sciatic nerve and surrounding tissue which can cause the flair ups. For the most part, it is the nerve itself that is normally being irritated, where from tumors, pregnancy or other factors.

In most patients, the sciatic nerve discomfort is brought on and exacerbated by the constant pressure and flexing of the piriformis muscle. This muscle runs onder the lower section of the spine and helps flex and move the hips. This muscle is extremely likely to be affected by arthritis or other conditions. Any of these can also bring upon sciatica and the pain associated with it.

It is not always clear just why and how your sciatic nerve pain may have come about. In fact, even a complete medical exam may not reveal the cause. Oftentimes MRI, xrays and other scans are needed to determine the cause or causes.

It's a good idea to run through any and all of these tests that your doctor orders as one of them is likely to reveal the source of the problem. Always bare in mind the importance of pinpointing the cause or underlying factor first, so you can work towards elimination. There are many causes of sciatic nerve pain.

There are ways to cure and completely eliminate sciatic nerve inflammation and pain. You will find that the cure does not come overnight, but if you are willing to do a little research, follow your doctor's advice, and make a few lifestyle changes, you can be pain free for good.

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