What Is Sciatic Nerve Pain?

By: Tony Maichl Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Sciatica pain quite simply, is pain that is caused by a damaged or irritated sciatic nerve. So, what is the sciatic nerve? The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body that starts in the spinal cord at the lower back area and extends down through the buttock and runs down the legs all the way to the feet and toes. The sciatic nerve sends signals from the lower back, buttock, legs, feet, and toes to the brain and receives signals back from the brain.

The pain you feel in your lower back that radiates through the buttocks and down your legs is called sciatica (neuralgia along the sciatic nerve, Neuralgia: acute spasmodic pain along the course of one or more nerves.) Sciatica can be quite excruciating depending on whether the nerve is damaged or just irritated. The pain can feel like a stabbing pain, tingling, burning sensation, like pins and needles, or even like an electrical shock that runs through your lower back buttocks and legs, you can also feel weakness or a numbing sensation in the back and legs.

The most common cause of sciatica pain is Piciformis Syndrome. Piciformis Syndrome occurs when the piriformis muscle, due to tightness or spasms, pinches or compresses the sciatic nerve. The piriformis muscle starts in the lower spine, it crosses the buttocks, and connects to the thigh bone, if this muscle becomes inflamed and swollen it will pinch or put pressure on the nerve causing the sciatica pain. This is because the nerve runs underneath the muscle so, when the muscle swells it places pressure on the nerve which causes the pain you feel in your lower back, buttocks, and legs.

The pain caused by Piriformis Syndrome can feel like a stabbing pain, tingling or numbness in the buttocks and legs and can worsen when in a sitting position for long periods, climbing stairs, walking, or running.

If the sciatica pain is caused by Piriformis Syndrome, which is the most common, then recovery can be fairly easy with the right treatment. Treatment for this is just a matter of a couple of massage therapy treatments, stretching exercises, and possibly some posture retraining. You should consult a doctor or professional therapist for the proper stretching exercise to prevent damaging the muscle further. When the sciatica pain is first felt you should rest for a few hours and apply ice to help reduce inflammation and swelling before starting any stretching exercise you may also want to contact your doctor first as well.

After recovery from sciatica pain you should continue the stretching exercise, continue working on your posture, eat healthier food (increase your intake of raw vegetable and fresh fruit they help the body heal more quickly), and work on strengthening the back and abdominal muscles, to help prevent future sciatica pain.

After suffering from sciatica for many years I began to search for ways to relieve the pain and ways to prevent it from returning. I was surprised at what I found that the doctors didn't tell me, only because they were concerned with my present condition and not with the future condition.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: For more information I found on the sciatic nerve, sciatica pain, causes, treatments, and ways to prevent it visit "Sciatica Pain Relief" or "What is Sciatica pain."