Sciatica is a one-sided pain in the leg that usually extends from the lower back to the hip bone or buttocks and then downwards to the leg. Most people experience Sciatic pain in only one leg. Severe pain from sciatica not only impairs the movement of limbs but also causes a problem with sitting and laying down on the affected side.
Sciatica is a manageable pain but patients usually complain that the pain returns after a few years even if it fades away.
People who have a herniated disk are at higher risk of getting sciatic pain or sciatica. This is due to the fact that a misaligned spine simply reduces the space available for the sciatic nerve and places pressure on it, which causes the nerve to cause extreme pain, inflammation, and even numbness on the affected side of the leg.
Not all cases of sciatica are severe. Non-severe cases can easily be treated in non-surgical ways. Surgical methods are only an option if sciatica has aggravated lower limb impairment or damage to the bowel or bladder.
What is the Sciatic Nerve?
The sciatic nerves originate in your lower back and branch out into your hips, buttocks, and legs.
If a person has a damaged sciatic nerve, chances are that the lower leg nerves would show a slightly impeded activity too. The sciatic nerve provides direct motor innervation as well as sensory innervation for all the muscular branches of the leg.