Sciatica is a pain in the butt, literally. It can be felt in the back of the thigh and sometimes down into the calf. Sciatica pain typically originates from irritation or inflammation of one or more of the five spinal nerve roots that come out of each side of your spine, below where they exit the spinal column.
The most common cause of sciatica is a herniated disk (also called a slipped disk), which can cause irritation or inflammation to one or more spinal nerve roots. When these become compressed or irritated, it can cause pain, numbness and tingling in the lower limbs. Other less common causes include bone spurs, degenerative changes in the spine, tumors, infection and trauma.
Sciatica pain is often worse when you sit down and relax (when you’re at rest), which can make it difficult to work, sleep or enjoy life as usual. The good news is that there are many treatments for sciatica available, and your team at Catalyst Physical Therapy can help. Our state of the art treatments include self-care tips and exercises for home — which can also help ease sciatica pain so you can get back to doing the things you love.
