Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Sciatica And Where It Comes From

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.

Moreover, the most usual cause of Sciatica is the extreme and constant contraction of the muscles. The sciatic nerve runs under the piriformis muscle, and this muscle is positioned in the lower section of the spine and aid with the hip rotation. The piriformis muscle is prone to being hurt by arthritis in the hip, a fall, or when one leg is shorter than the other since this can bring in spasms and contraction in the muscle which squeeze the Sciatic nerve.

The cause of the pain is really difficult to pinpoint sometimes, but your doctor will evaluate your medical charts and history, as well as give you a full physical exam. Sometimes x-rays and MRI are also needed.

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.

It is possible to cure your sciatic nerve pain. It takes some persistence, but I was able to cure mine without a doctor and you can do if you are willing to take some advice and follow a few simple tips. You should always remember that sciatica is able to be cured as long as you are willing to work at it and keep to a regimen! - 16650

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