The two main factors that result in sciatica are when the nerve gets compressed (think “pinched” nerve) or when the nerve is overstretched (a traction injury). And while the causes and risk factors vary, sciatica can be triggered by seemingly benign things that end up causing microtrauma that worsens with each episode. It can come on suddenly, such as with trauma, or over time, like with arthritis. experience sciatica at some point in their life.

Why Does Sciatica Happen?Ībout 40 percent of adults in the U.S. Sciatica typically only impacts one leg, not both, and up to 90 percent of people with sciatica recover without surgery. If nerve inflammation progresses, it can present as numbness, leg weakness, and in severe cases, affect bowel and bladder control. Sciatic pain can be intermittent or constant with varying levels of intensity. It forms from a group of nerves off of the lumbar and sacral regions of the spine and runs down the hips and buttocks, branching down each leg into the feet. The sciatic nerve is the largest in the body. Sciatica is a type of lumbar radiculopathy, an irritation of either a single lumbar spine nerve root or the group of nerve roots that form the sciatic nerve. The best way to tell the difference between back pain and sciatica starts with one question: Does your pain run down your leg? If the answer is no, chances are the issue isn’t sciatica. However, as Rob began to unravel the mystery behind John’s pain, he quickly discovered that John’s pain wasn’t sciatica it was back pain.Īccording to Rob, “There is a misnomer that localized back pain is sciatica, but this is not the case.” John arrived at his physical therapy evaluation and shared that he had sciatica with his physical therapist, Rob Hollander.

Sciatica test at home