What Causes Sciatica?
Although the cause of Sciatica lies in the spine, not all sufferers will experience back pain and symptoms can be variable. The problem can manifest as back pain with leg pain, or leg pain only. The major cause of Sciatica is a Prolapsed Inter Vertebral Disc (more commonly known as a 'slipped disc') at the bottom of the back.
Sciatic can be triggered by very small, normal movements like bending over to one side at a bad angle to pick something up, as well from suffering a trauma like falling off a ladder and landing on your back. What happens in all cases is that the sciatic nerve is compressed and consequentially causes you pain. Scaitica can also be caused by stretch type injury as well as gradual onset.
Sciatica is generally caused by compression of nerve roots in the lumbar spine causing pain to the lower back, buttocks and legs, and far less commonly by compression to the sciatic nerve itself, which is the “true” meaning of the term sciatica. One of the primary causes of sciatica is a slipped disc. Other factors however that can cause sciatica include: injury to the buttocks, prolonged external pressure on the nerve, pressure from a tight muscle or nearby structure.
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