Sciatica Pain: Causes and Prevention, by Brad Dow, BA RMT

Sciatica nerve pain is one of the most deceptive physical conditions to diagnose. An early sciatica symptom is a dull pain in the lower back or buttocks, something that is encountered by most of us as we participate in various physical activities. On the other hand, the back pain caused from damage to the Sciatica nerve can bring patients to disability.

Sciatica nerve pain is characterized by a weakening, numbing, pain or tingling in the leg area that begins with a dull pain in the lower back and progresses to buttocks and legs. In most cases, sciatica pain comes and goes without apparent reason or without an instigating factor that we can try to overcome or control; while the intensity of sciatica pain hovers between dull and numb to excruciating and debilitating.

Also called Radiculopathy, Neuropathy, Sciatic Nerve and Sciatic Nerve Dysfunction, Sciatica pain is highly treatable. If the real cause of sciatica pain can be determined and diagnosed in time, and treatment is followed through, Sciatic nerve heals itself and the pain is relieved. Below I discuss the main causes of sciatica pain and a holistic approach that will help my patients take care of sciatic nerve. 

The Causes of Sciatica Nerve Pain:
Sciatica pain is caused by discomfort in or damage to the Sciatic nerve, by far the biggest nerve in our body that begins at our lower spine and encompasses buttocks, legs and feet. Therefore, any stress or damage to sciatic nerve along the way will result in sciatica nerve pain.

The following are some medical disorders that are known to cause damage to the sciatic nerve, offsetting sciatica pain.

Sciatica nerve pinching by herniated lumbar disk
All disks in our spine have an inner core called Nucleus Pulposus. In certain conditions, the Nucleus comes out of its protective casing, the Annulus Fibrosis, and wraps around the disk itself. Some of my patients describe this condition as a ruptured, slipped or torn disk because this tear, slip and rupture in the casing Annulus Fibrosis, is causing back pain at the point of herniation.
The pain reaches buttocks and the leg when the now bulging disk presses, compresses or pinches on a spinal nerve that is serving the lower parts of our body.

Sciatica nerve burdened by narrowing of spinal canal:  Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis develops when excessive burden is placed on the intervertebral disc making it grow into the spinal canal.

Our backbone is a tangle of nerves and disks going up the spinal cord or the spinal canal. Almost thirty-one pairs of nerves reach out from the spinal cord to receive and communicate signals to and from our brain and the body. Lumbar Spinal Stenosis narrows the passage of the spinal canal affecting nerves and ligaments in the back area, providing for the second most common cause of sciatica nerve pain.

The narrowing of the spinal canal can happen for many reasons such as the degeneration of facet joints or the invertebrae disks due to aging overload and overuse of the lower back area.

Sciatica nerve pinching due to Degenerative Disk Disease
Also called Spondylolisthesis, the Degenerative Disk Disease causes a condition where one vertebra disk protrudes forward over another vertebra. This causes many complications in the spine and the lower back area including sciatica pain by pinching or compressing the sciatica nerve.

The patient suffers from the Piriformis Syndrome
Piriformis Syndrome is the most common cause of Sciatica. It is known in the medical community as Pseudo Sciatica. This is because it is a result of a muscular compression of the sciatic nerve.

The Piriformis muscle is a narrow muscle that starts in the lower spine. It crosses the buttocks and connects to the thigh bone (Femur). Piriformis Syndrome occurs when piriformis muscle, due to tightness or spasms, pinches or compresses over the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve runs just below it as it crosses the lower spine and buttocks area.

The sciatic pain produced by Piriformis Syndrome is characterized by pain, tingling or numbness in buttocks and legs; the pain worsens with long time sitting positions, climbing stairs, jogging even walking.

Spinal Tumors
Tumors are un-natural and abnormal cells that may grow in various parts and organs of our body for various reasons. When such a growth takes place in the Spinal area: spinal cord, membrane around the spine or in vertebrae, it can press on the sciatic nerve to produce sciatic pain.

Symptoms can be dull or severe pain in the back and legs, loss of bladder or bowl functions, loss of sensation in lower part of the body. 

Sciatica Pain Prevention

I would like to draw your attention to three points from the discussion above, first that in most early stages, sciatica nerve pain is highly treatable; second, that if we can clearly determine the cause of Sciatica pain, we can take positive steps to recover from it and to prevent it. Third, that it is a difficult condition to diagnose.

If it is a result of piriformis syndrome, you are in luck. With a couple massage therapy treatments, a stretching program and posture retraining you should be back at it. Remember this is the most common cause of Sciatica or as we call it Pseudo Sciatica. When you feel any of the symptoms make sure to call your RMT at Everest Therapeutics Inc.

Now, if this is true Sciatica, I will suggest the following three points for recovery and prevention of Sciatica Nerve Pain:
1.  If you feel pain in the back, buttocks, legs or feet, do the following:

• Discontinue any physical activity that you were engaged in prior to experiencing pain;

• Take complete rest for a few hours, see how the body responds;
• Engage yourself in non-strenuous stretching exercises;

• If the pain does not reduce or diminish in a few days, consult your massage therapist or your physician.

Experts say that in most cases, the usual Sciatica nerve pain heals in six weeks. I have no reason to disagree with that, but I do want to make sure that your back pain has been identified as Sciatica nerve pain by a specialist. In other words, do not assume that you have sciatica, but make sure that it IS sciatica nerve pain before entering your six weeks of rest and recovery program.

2.  Once a specialist has diagnosed that the pain in your back, buttocks and legs is Sciatica Nerve Pain, your rest and recovery program should include the following:

 General body

• It is important for us to look at our bodies in the context of overall health. If the general body condition is healthy, it will heal nerve and muscle damage faster and better. So, review and evaluate your food intake to see if it is rich enough in nutrition, and includes all food groups. An increase in raw vegetables and fresh fruits will boost overall health of the body.

 

• Posture is an important factor in the recovery and prevention of sciatica nerve pain. Please make sure that your back is straight when sitting, standing, walking or lifting. See the RMT Tip below for a simple way to make sure your back is straight.

Exercises

Choose gentle exercises, preferably performed in slow motion, such as Tai Chi and Yoga to:

•  Stretch and strengthen back and leg muscles;

•  Strengthen abdominal and pelvic muscles.

 Massage Therapy

• Massage therapy techniques revive damaged muscles and nerves.
  

• Depending on the cause of Sciatica pain, a massage therapy program devised for your unique body system will enhance the recovery effort.

• Massage therapy may work as a measure for pain relief, and as part of longer-term recovery and prevention program as it strengthens, for example, the abdominal and back muscles and relieves tightness of the Piriformis muscle.

3. If you experience any of the following, please contact your RMT or doctor:

•  Numbness or muscle weakness in the lower back or anywhere along the path of Sciatic nerve;

• Tingling sensation, pins-and-needles feeling or loss of sensation in the leg, toes or feet;
• Sudden loss of bladder function or bowel movement;
• If the back pain began after a high-impact or traffic-related injury.
   

Wellness Tips from Brad

This simple exercise is for us to make sure that our back is straight as posture can place undue burden on the back, buttocks and legs deteriorating to cause sciatic nerve pain.

While standing or sitting:

• Straighten your back, look straight ahead;

• Raise your arms up, palms out, breathing-in;

• Join your palms over your head;
• Look up; your joined hands are facing up, arms straight, hold breath;
• Still joined, bring your hands down to your chest, exhaling, looking ahead;
• Feel your base: Feet on the ground if standing; surface of the seat under the buttocks if sitting;
• Relax the muscles in your back, go all along the spine to the base of the neck;
• Enjoy the lightness of it.

 
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