Sciatic Pain

You must have heard a lot, especially from elderly individuals, "I am experiencing sciatic pain again". It is always wondered: Is sciatica the name given to a lower back hernia? We will try to explain what it is.

Sciatica is the name given to the thickest and longest nerve of the body that comes out of the 4th and 5th vertebrae in the waist and takes some fibers from the coccyx and extends to the feet. The sciatic nerve passes through the pelvis and runs down the back of the thigh. It has become a habit to call the pain felt on this road as sciatica. It is often confused with herniated disc. In fact, herniated disc may cause sciatic pain, but pain specific to this nerve may occur depending on the problem.

What Causes Sciatica?

Sciatica may occur due to a herniated disc (between L 4-5), or it may be compressed as it travels between the muscles of the waist, backsides, and behind the knee. It is common for the sciatic nerve to show symptoms in the region where the sciatic nerve is compressed.

Who gets sciatica most often?

In obese patients

In patients with advanced diabetes with nerve damage

Those who lead a physically inactive life

Frequent heavy lifters (including athletes)

Those who have had a troubled pregnancy (due to abnormal lower back position)

Muscle weakness and loss of strength with age

Those who have had an accident or trauma have a higher chance of developing sciatica.

Sciatica Symptoms

Patients with sciatica most often consult a doctor with complaints of pain. The pain radiates from the waist to the inside of the buttocks from the back of the thigh to the feet. Sciatica pain can cause great distress to people while walking. These problems are manifested not only in pain but also in the form of loss of strength and sensation. Positions where the sciatic nerve is stretched, that is, bending forward and turning to the side, can cause extreme pain and make our movements very limited. These patients also have difficulty in standing upright, walking slanted to one side to reduce pain. Nerve pressure findings in the form of numbness, tingling and pins and needles along the line where the nerve passes, and sensation defects occur.

Sciatica Diagnosis

It is of great importance for patients to fully explain their complaints such as pain, numbness, tingling and loss of strength to the doctor. Although it is not difficult for the doctor to understand that the incident is caused by sciatica, with the examination maneuvers he will perform, diagnostic tools such as MR and tomography are important in confirming the diagnosis. Sometimes, a nerve test called EMG may be required to reveal from which area the nerve is compressed.

Sciatica Treatment

As a preventive measure, stretching exercises, waist supports, exercises that strengthen the waist and back muscles, swimming are very useful. Don't sit too much, don't stand too much and don't lift heavy, our advice is the golden rules for all those who have back problems.

If sciatic pain has started to affect your daily life, you can take simple painkillers. In more severe pains and problems, injecting ozone-cortisone mixture into the spinal canal or selectively to the root of whichever sciatic nerve is affected, causes long-term pain relief and increases your quality of life. Surgery is the last option and is very rarely necessary.