Who Gets Sciatica?

40% of Americans experience sciatica pain at one point in their life. 

Who's at Risk?

Age is a Factor:

• People between the ages of 30 to 50 are the most at risk for sciatica. Because of work, social and sports activities, this age group tends to be very active in comparison with older age groups, which increases the likelihood of injury or other types of damage. 
• Degeneration of intervertibral disc usually starts around the age of 30.
• Spinal stenosis usually starts at age 50.
• Arthritic changes such as bone spurs occur in seniors.

Pregnancy: Hormonal changes and changes in the baby's position can cause stress on the sciatic nerve.

Obesity: Excess weight puts stress on the spine.

Diabetes: Diabetics have increased risk to nerve damage.

Manual Labor: Frequently lifting heavy loads and/or twisting the spine repeatedly is associated with disc herniation, which often results in lumbar radiculopathy. This is a term that describes the symptoms that happen when your spinal nerve root is irritated. 

Prolonged Sitting: People who sit for extended periods of time are at higher risk, such as those that work at a computer, drive a lot, or live a sedentary lifestyle, are more likely to develop sciatica than active people are. Sitting may put pressure on the sciatic nerve directly.

Walkers & Runners: These two sports are likely to increase the risk for sciatica symptoms due to the  repeated contraction of the piriformis muscle. During extended periods of walking and running, this muscle tightens and can cause irritation to the sciatic nerve.

What Causes Sciatica?

• The most common cause of sciatica is a herniated disc. Discs act like cushions between the vertebrae of your spine. These discs get weaker as you age and become more vulnerable to injury. Sometimes the gel-like center of a disc pushes through its outer lining and presses on the roots of the sciatic nerve. About 1 in 50 people will get a herniated disc at some point in life. Up to a quarter of them will have symptoms that last more than 6 weeks.
• Natural wear and tear of the vertebrae can lead to a narrowing of the spinal canal. This narrowing, called spinal stenosis, may put pressure on the roots of the sciatic nerve. Spinal stenosis is more common in adults over age 60.
• In rare cases, sciatica may result from tumors growing inside or along the spinal cord or sciatic nerve. As a tumor grows, it may put pressure on the nerves that branch off from the spinal cord.
• The piriformis is a muscle found deep inside the buttocks. It connects the lower spine to the upper thighbone and runs directly over the sciatic nerve. If this muscle goes into spasm, it can put pressure on the sciatic nerve, triggering symptoms of sciatica. Piriformis syndrome is more common in women. It can also affect men who wear their wallet in the back pocket of their pants. This puts chronic pressure on the piriformis muscle and can aggravate the sciatic nerve over time. 
• Sacroiliitis is an inflammation of one or both of the sacroiliac joints, the spot where the lower spine connects to the pelvis. Sacroiliitis can cause pain in the buttocks and lower back, and may even extend down one or both legs. The pain can worsen with prolonged standing or climbing stairs. Sacroiliitis can be caused by arthritis, injury, pregnancy, or infection.
• Other causes of sciatica include muscle inflammation, infection, or injury, such as a fracture. In general, any condition that irritates or compresses the sciatic nerve can trigger symptoms. In some cases, no specific cause of sciatica can be found.

What Provides Relief to Sciatica?

Sciatica can be extremely painful and sufferers want relief, and rightly so. Sufferers should see their primary care doctor. Treatment is often a process of trial and errors and a combination of treatments.

Remain Active - motion can actually reduce inflammation and pain

• A physical therapist can show you how to gently stretch the hamstring and lower back.
• Practicing tai chi or yoga can help stabilize the affected area and strengthen your core. 
• Research suggests that light exercise, such as walking, may help improve the transportation of nutritive fluids to the disc and improve the disc’s ability to adapt to spinal loads.
• Depending on your medical condition, certain exercises may not be recommended.

Ergonomic Posture Changes

Sitting Posture - When sitting, the stresses on the spinal discs in the lower back can increase up to 40%, aggravating your sciatica.

Try using a standing desk. Standing is an active process, and following an ergonomically supported standing posture can help relieve stresses on the lower back and minimize sciatica pain from a herniated or bulged disc. Aim to switch between a seated and standing posture intermittently during the workday. Gradually working the way up to longer periods of standing. Take short walks every hour using correct walking posture.

Use a posture-positioning cushion, such as the Contour Kabooti Seat Cushion, which provides an ergonomic wedge cushion that tilts the pelvic region forward, which promotes proper seating posture and reduces pressure points in the lower back and helps prevent pressure in the lower back.

Sleeping Posture

Side sleepers benefit from a leg pillow: When lying on side, the top leg tends to roll forward and rest on the mattress, putting a twisting pressure on the lower back and the sciatic nerve. Use a contoured leg pillow, such as the Contour Legacy Leg Pillow,  to maintain legs and spine in a neutral position. This position also delivers extra support to the body and keeps hips squared and the lower back protected. Side Sleepers may also benefit from a larger pillow, such as the Contour L-Pillow,  which gives enough surface area under the chest and head to maintain alignment and minimize nerve compression. 

Choosing the right head pillow. Fluffy pillows do not offer any support. To reduce lower back pain, keep the cervical spine properly aligned using a firmer neck pillow with supportive lobes and a crescent shaped neck cutout such as the Contour Cloud .

Use a wedge system such as the Contour 2-in-1 Back and 2-in-1 Leg Relief Wedges or Contour BackMax. Reclining provides relief to sciatica because it takes pressure off the nerve roots and raising the legs provide relief from nerve pressure.

Elevate knees with a leg wedge. Sleeping or resting with the knees elevated on a wedge minimizes pressure on the sciatic roots and can provide relief to help Sciatica sufferers feel more comfortable. The Contour 2-in-1 Leg Relief wedge provides the ideal 40˚ angle to help ease aches and pains.

Over the Counter Pain Relievers

Medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen (Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve) can help with the pain.

Heat and Cold Therapy

A heating pad or ice pack may be especially helpful. Apply the heat or ice for about 20 minutes every two hours. Experiment to see which provides more relief, or try alternating between the two.

Steroid Injections

In severe cases, a doctor may recommend injecting steroids into the spine area to reduce inflammation. It delivers the medication directly to the area around the sciatic nerve.

Surgery

If sciatica is caused by a herniated disk, and it's still causing severe pain after four to six weeks, surgery may be an option. The surgeon will remove a portion of the herniated disc to relieve the pressure on the sciatic nerve. About 90% of patients get relief from this type of surgery. Other surgical procedures can relieve sciatica caused by spinal stenosis.