It is a sciatic nerve that causes pain that starts in the lower back and pinching and irritation inflammation spread to the buttocks and legs.
Sometimes in sciatica, in addition to pain in the lower back, you will experience numbness and tingling in buttocks and back of the thighs, and the skin in painful areas and even weakness of the muscles in the back of the leg.
In the following you will read more about “Sciatic pain symptoms in buttocks and leg”
If you are trying to lift a heavy object and … suddenly you have severe back pain that spreads to the buttocks, back of the thighs and back of your legs, doctors call this clinical manifestation as sciatic nerve radiculopathy, which is known as sciatica qmong people under
Radicular pain is a sharp pain that spreads from the lower back to the buttocks, back of the thighs, and back of the leg (usually unilaterally) when the sciatic nerve is involved.
what you will read next :
- Who is more likely to have sciatica in the lower back, buttocks, back of the thighs, and back of the legs?
- What is the problem with intervertebral disc herniation that causes sciatica and hip, thigh and leg pain?
- What activities will trigger sciatica (a disc herniation between the lumbar vertebrae)?
- Predisposing factors for disc herniation
- What causes sciatica?
- What are the symptoms of sciatica?
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
Who is more likely to have sciatica in the lower back, buttocks, back of the thighs, and back of the legs?
Most people with sciatica radiculopathy are in their thirties or fifties.
At this age, protrusion of the disc between the lower back vertebrae, which doctors call herniated disc, and sometimes ruptured disc rupture, will be the main cause of pressure, irritation, and inflammation of the sciatic nerve.
When too much pressure is applied to the spine, for example following the lifting of a heavy object, the ring-like part that surrounds the disc and is located around the disc (annulus fibrosus) ruptures.
And the central part of the disc, called the nucleus pulposus, which is soft and flexible, protrudes from the rupture. Doctors call this protrusion of the disc from its original place; hernia (disc herniation is common in young people at this age due to the softness of the nucleus).
What is the problem with intervertebral disc herniation that causes sciatica and hip, thigh and leg pain?
The protruding part puts pressure on the nerve roots that are leaving the spinal cord and the space between the vertebrae (the sciatic nerve will actually be formed by the joining of these nerve roots). Doctors believe that gelatinous nuclei have chemical compounds that contact with nerve endings in the spinal cord can cause irritation and inflammation.
Eventually, both pressure and chemical stimulation will cause inflammation of the nerve roots that make up the sciatic nerve. The most common disc herniation occurs between the lumbar vertebrae between the third and fourth vertebrae and between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae.
What activities will trigger sciatica (a disc herniation between the lumbar vertebrae)?
- Sudden spins that keep your legs still and your back twisting and suddenly change position
- Lifting heavy objects
- Pushing heavy objects
- Bend at the waist while keeping your knees straight
Statistics show that two out of every 100 people between the ages of thirty and five will develop a lumbar disc herniation during their lifetime, with only ten to twenty-five percent of these two percent experiencing clinical signs and symptoms.
Predisposing factors for disc herniation
The following factors increase your risk of developing a herniated disc and therefore sciatica:
- Obesity and overweight
- Long time sittings
- Lack of physical activity and lack of proper exercise
- Lifting objects incorrectly
- smoking
What causes sciatica?
- Intervertebral disc herniation
- Degenerative problems of the spine, and osteoarthritis of the spine will be the main cause in older people.
- Problems inside the spinal cord:
- Spinal canal stenosis
- Tumors inside the spinal cord and spine
- Tuberculosis of the spine
- Slipping the vertebrae spine on top of each other
- Intra-pelvic masses
- Masses in the buttocks and thighs
- Inflammation of the nerves without the presence of a compressive agent, such as inflammation of the nerves following surgery, diabetes, and chronic alcohol consumption
What are the symptoms of sciatica?
- Feeling of muscle cramps in the back of the leg
- Feeling of pain in the back or outer edge of the leg
- Lower back pain spreading to the buttocks and back of the thigh (unilateral)
- The above pains will be aggravated by sitting, coughing, sneezing
- Tingling of pain areas
- Anesthesia in areas pain spread
- Feeling of heaviness in the back of the leg
- Feeling weak behind the leg
Occasionally there may be other symptoms without back pain. If left untreated, compression disorder and prolonged inflammation of the nerve, you will also lose muscle in these areas.
Diagnosis
- Get an accurate history
- Clinical examination
- sometimes the results and information obtained from diagnostic aids such as
- Radiography
- R.I
- Mylography
- EMG-NCV
Treatment
Depending on the cause of sciatica, your doctor may prescribe appropriate treatment.
If the cause of sciatica is spreading to your buttocks, back of your thighs and legs, disc herniation, the treatments will be as follows:
- Non-surgical treatments:
- Rest:
Stay at home for forty-eight hours and rest, lie on your back and place a small pillow under your knees, or lie on your side with a small pillow between your knees.
Every two hours, get up and walk for ten to twenty minutes and go back to sleep
- the heat:
Every two to three hours, put a warm compress on your lower back and painful areas for fifteen to twenty minutes, a hot shower will also be useful (use the articles mentioned in the articles if you are more comfortable with a cold compress).
- Analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs:
Such as ibuprofen, naproxen, celecoxibe
- Muscle relaxant drugs:
Baclofen (pay close attention to the side effects of drowsiness) and Metocarbamol
- Physiotherapy:
With the relief of pain and relief from the acute phase of pain, gradually begin appropriate movements and exercises on the advice of your doctor.
- Surgical treatment:
Surgical treatment will be recommended when you still have pain after three months despite following the above tips.