How to Eliminate Sciatica
Sciatica is a condition involving sharp, shooting pain down one or both legs; sometimes down to the foot. It usually starts in the buttock, but not always, and it may or may not be accompanied by low back pain.
Sciatica gets its name from the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the body that services the leg. It occurs when the nerve or the neurons that comprise it are compressed. Keep in mind that as in all peripheral (outside the skeleton) nerves, neurons originate and terminate in the brain and encompass the spinal cord, so compression in these areas by tumors or other masses have the potential to cause sciatica.
The most common cause of sciatica in the general population is compression or irritation of the lumbo-sacral nerve roots as they pass through the central canal and/or exit the lateral canals of the spine. The lumbo-sacral nerve roots are the individual fibers that exit the spine and merge at the gluteal region to form the sciatic nerve.
Things that can compress the lumbo-sacral nerve roots are central and lateral canal stenosis due to degenerative joint disease (bone spurs, thickened ligaments) and bulging L4/L5 or L5/S1 spinal discs.
A less common cause of sciatica is piriformis sydrome, where the deep muscles of the buttock abnormally scissor the sciatic nerve.
The following videos demonstrate safe, clinically proven techniques to treat the common causes of sciatica yourself. For some, these techniques will be enough to completely resolve your pain!
Make sure to check with your doctor first to rule out any serious conditions.
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