The medical condition, sciatica, is so called because it is the sciatic nerve, one of the largest in the human body that is affected, when someone suffers from this condition. The sciatic nerve is connected to the lower part of the spine; it then runs through the hip joint and extends right down the thigh.

As with all nerves in the body, it can be compared to a communication wire; such as one from your computer to your printer and scanner. The computer tells the printer when and what to print while the printer sends back information telling your computer that the print run has finished, or whether there were any problems.

As far as the sciatic nerve is concerned, messages are transmitted through the nerve between your brain and the muscle in your thigh; your brain tells the muscle to contract, so you can move your thigh. The nerve also allows information from your thigh to be transmitted to your brain and in the case of a person suffering from sciatica it sends pain messages, telling your brain something is wrong.

Pain is the bodies way of telling you that something needs sorting; it also stops you causing yourself more damage, because the pain is so prohibitive thus meaning you can’t move your thigh in the usual way. Although, as far as a warning system is concerned, pain is good, it is very debilitating and depressing. Also, in the case of sciatica, it can take a long time for the problem to improve, so a person can be in pain for many weeks.

Sciatica is caused by inflammation of the sciatic nerve; in most instances the problem lies in the base of the spine where a disc has moved or dislodged slightly. It compresses the sciatic nerve which inflames it and causes pain messages to be sent to brain. Pain can be experienced all the way from the lower back, down the side of the body and down the thigh.

Sciatica is something that occurs suddenly. You may move awkwardly or pick up something that’s too heavy; in many cases a person can’t remember actually doing anything at all to cause the problem. Initially you get a tingling or numbness in your thigh and then as the inflammation gets worse, it becomes painful. Generally it will worsen further overnight and in the morning it may be very difficult to move your thigh and the pain can be very bad.

Sciatica doesn’t usually affect children and young people; in fact the typical age range of people who suffer from it is 30 through 50. Statistics also show that once a person has had one occurrence of sciatica, then they are more prone to getting it again. This may be because there is an underlying problem, such as a prolapsed disc, or simply that the first attach has weakened the nerve. It is also ways wise to seek medical advice from your doctor if you suffer an attack of sciatica.

Lawrence Reaves recommends readers visit this great online resource for information on pain management, and here for important orthopedic information.

Lawrence Reaves writes widely on medical issues and recommends readers visit http://www.osc-ortho.com/services/pain.html and here http://www.osc-ortho.com/physicians/physicians.html for information on orthopedic issues and pain management.

Author Bio: Lawrence Reaves recommends readers visit this great online resource for information on pain management, and here for important orthopedic information.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: health, body, medical, technology, lifestyle, advice, fitness, technology