Infringement of the sciatic nerve: disease or symptom

The appearance of pain in the lower back, hip, leg may indicate the appearance of a pinch of various kinds. Usually such worries can subside, and the visit to the doctor is postponed until "better times." If you do not seek help in time to find out the cause of such unpleasant sensations, the pain syndrome can develop and completely immobilize the body. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body, therefore, if full functioning is disturbed, a person feels acute pain, starting from the back and ending with the foot. Pinching of the sciatic nerve indicates the presence of disease of the lumbosacral spine, and leads to sciatica (sciatic neuralgia or inflammation).

What do we feel when the sciatic nerve is pinched

As soon as the longest nerve in our body begins to be shy in functioning, a person feels a sharp pain. This is the only symptom that characterizes pinching. The pain syndrome can begin with breaking in the lower back or legs, tingling in the buttocks or legs, numbness of the buttocks. Gradually, the pain grows and turns into unbearable, aching and burning. Pain radiates down the back of the leg, under the knee to the foot, affecting the lower spine. The patient cannot stay in one position for a long time, weakness and limitation of mobility begin. When there is an infringement of the sciatic nerve, the person begins to instinctively lean on the other leg, healthy, so as not to feel a sharp pain, as if an electric shock.

Why is the sciatic nerve pinched

• The most common reason – osteochondrosis. Metabolic processes in the tissues are disturbed, and the spine does not receive the necessary nutrition, which leads to deformation of the vertebrae. The gaps between the vertebrae are getting smaller, pinching occurs.
• Intervertebral hernia of the lumbar is the second, after osteochondrosis, the cause that causes pinching of the sciatic nerve. The nucleus pulposus protrudes when the fibrous ring is destroyed and begins to put pressure on the nerve endings.
• With the syndrome of the piriformis muscle, the sciatic nerve is infringed, severe pains begin in the lumbar region.
• The pinching may be due to stenosis of the lumbar spinal canal. The canal in which the spinal cord is located begins to narrow, the joints expand, and the pressure on the intervertebral discs increases. Usually this disease is typical for people over 50-60 years old.
• Displacement of the intervertebral discs due to the lifting of a load. The functioning of the nerve is disturbed, the nerve roots are infringed.
• Also, hypothermia of the body, especially in the lumbar region, leads to infringement of the sciatic nerve.
• The development of infections reduces the body's resistance and diseases in the pelvic region begin to develop and possible displacement of the vertebrae with subsequent pinching.
• During a spinal injury, the sciatic nerve can be damaged or pinched.

How to diagnose and treat a pinched sciatic nerve

To find out what is the cause of pinching, the doctor performs an examination and can identify the disease that served as the root cause. He also prescribes the necessary diagnostics to confirm the diagnosis: complete blood and urine tests, biochemical blood tests, MRI, ultrasound.

Treatment of pinched nerves

First of all, the doctor prescribes the treatment of the initial disease caused by the infringement. If the pain syndrome is very strong, the doctor recommends anti-inflammatory therapy (injections, tablets), performs blockade of the sciatic nerve with the use of painkillers. Fortifying drugs are also prescribed to establish metabolic processes in tissues, to resume blood circulation. Vitamin complexes are recommended. In addition to medical intervention, doctors advise to come to grips with treatment and adhere to the regimen, perform constant strengthening and health-improving exercises. It is also effective to take a course of magnetotherapy, UHF therapy, electrophoresis (phonophoresis).  To prevent pinching of the sciatic nerve, you should do daily exercises for only 15-20 minutes with the simplest exercises: walking on the buttocks,

sit and walk correctly, take care of your posture and your health;
sleep on a hard bed, do not sit on too soft chairs, pillows;
never lift weights that are bigger than yourself;
perform exercises to strengthen the muscles of the back and abs;
do not sit in one position for a long time and do not turn sharply, do not bend over, do a warm-up after an hour of being in one position.