Sciatica is a symptom that usually occurs due to nerve root compression in your lower spine. The compressed nerve root can affect parts of your body in different ways. It can cause you to feel pain that radiates throughout your sciatic nerve, from your lower back down the back of your leg. Your affected leg may also feel weak, tingly, or numb.
Sciatica
Sciatica is when you have pain, weakness or tingling that radiates down your leg. It is usually caused by disc problems in your spinal column but can also be caused by other problems.
The pain involved in sciatica can vary from a mild tingling to severe, disabling pain. It usually occurs on one side.
Because sciatica is a symptom, the cause of the problem needs to be discovered and treated.
If you have severe sciatica, you may want to consult a neurologist, a doctor who specializes in the nervous system.
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In most cases, sciatica is caused by a nerve root being compressed by a herniated disk located in your lower back. In rare circumstances, the herniated disk may be compressing nerves that affect your control over bladder or bowel function. When this occurs, you may also notice a tingling sensation or numbness around your genital area or groin. This is a medical emergency, so see a doctor immediately.
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Medical Center of Trinity answeredSee All 2 AnswersBed rest may further weaken muscles around the spine and cause further problems.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredSee All 3 AnswersSciatic nerve pain can be caused by several factors including a herniated disk or piriformis syndrome. Piriformis syndrome occurs when the piriformis muscle (small, outer-hip muscle) becomes tight and puts pressure on the sciatic nerve. Some general exercises that may help sciatica include static stretching your hip flexors and piriformis and low-intensity strengthening exercises for your glutes (such as a floor bridge or ball bridge) and deep abdominal muscles (supine marching).
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Brian Yee , Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, answeredYes. The thing that most people do not consider is that nerve tissue is just as much a connective tissue as a ligament, muscle, or tendon. When connective tissue is injured, it becomes inflamed, tissue changes occur such as scar tissue formation, and tissue re-injury is likely to happen. So even if the spine problem is corrected by surgery, epidural injections, or mechanical traction, the sciatic nerve is still irritated and can easily be re-aggravated.
Think of the sciatic nerve as a bungy cord. Normally the nerve has enough elasticity to elongate to match the range of motion the leg needs to have during the day to stand, walk, kick, etc. When sciatica occurs, not only is there pain, numbness, or ache in the leg, but the nerve itself becomes irritated and can scar - losing its elasticity. Many times patients feel like their hamstring is very tight after their sciatic nerve symptoms calm down. They try stretching it and find that their sciatica symptoms are re-aggravated. This is due to the nerve being less elastic, still irritated, and the stretching of what the patient thinks is hamstring tightness is actually the nerve being overstretched causing the sciatica to return.In these cases, it is recommended that the patient consult with a Physical Therapist trained in a technique called ‘neurodynamics’. Neurodynamics are specific manual therapy techniques that decrease nerve irritation and improve nerve mobility to restore the nerve back to its normal elasticity and allow the patient to function without re-injury. -
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Brian Yee , Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, answeredTypically hip pain is localized around the hip itself where sciatica can present itself in the back, hip and further down the leg. Sciatica can be aggravated by bending forwards / backwards or by raising the leg similar to a straight leg hamstring stretch. Hip pain is aggravated with specific hip movements that do not involve back movement.
Many times hip problems and sciatica co-exist with each other. Pirformis syndrome can cause sciatic nerve pain as the nerve can course under or through the muscle in the hip.
It is recommended that the patient see a qualified health practitioner to differentially diagnose pain between the hip, spine, or sciatic nerve as outcomes in rehabilitation are significantly better when the practitioner is able to determine where the pain is coming from. -
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Discovery Health answeredIt may be embarrassing to bring this up, but some medications can cause fecal incontinence.
A medication called Xenical (generic name orlistat)-which is now sold over the counter in a lower dosage as Alli-is designed to prevent the body from absorbing fat, which will decrease the calorie intake of its users.
During Xenical's clinical trial, researchers found that as much as 30 percent of ingested fat was excreted without being absorbed by the trial's subjects.
It is essential that patients follow a low-fat diet of around 15 grams of fat per meal because if they don't, the results won't be pretty. Roche Laboratories reports the side effects of Xenical include gas with oily discharge. Roche also reports that users of this medication may experience an increased number of bowel movements, as well as an urgent need to have them and an inability to control them. This is especially true following meals containing higher amounts of fat than are recommended when using the drug.
Alli, which came on the market in 2007, has a lower dosage of orlistat than Xenical. It has 60 mg rather than 120 mg. But it has the same side effects, which Roche describes as "treatment effects".
Roche's Alli Web site recommends to users that they wear dark pants and bring a change of clothes to work, when they first begin taking Alli.
Alli initially was very popular with dieters, but its sales sharply declined-perhaps because of the potential side effects.