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SCIATICA SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENTS

The Causes of Radiculopathy

Radiculopathy is nerve pain along the course of the sciatic nerve that is caused by compression or irritation of those spinal nerves, most commonly within or as they exit the spinal canal.

My friend Brad Walker started The Stretching Institute in 1995, in response to the high incidence of sports related injuries that he was seeing in the world class athletes that he worked with.

Since that time he has become an internationally recognized consultant and lecturer on stretching and the prevention of sports injuries.

Brad has an excellent FREE article about sciatica on his website, and there is even a demonstration of stretches that you can do to avoid sciatica. Check it out at Sciatica Stretches for Sciatica Pain Treatment, and then come back here to find out more about radiculopathy.

There can be many different causes of radiculopathy. These nerves can be compressed by arthritic bone spurs on the joints of your spine. This is one of the causes of lumbar spinal stenosis and lower back pain.

"Sciatica that occurs during pregnancy..."

Sciatica that occurs during pregnancy should be discussed with your obstetrician. Often a program of moderate sciatica treatments and pleasant stretches can help relieve sciatica nerve pain.

Also special corsets, orthotics, and support belts can often relieve your lower back pain and the pressure on the nerves. Pregnancy is a special experience in your life. Your pregnancy should not be ruined by uncontrolled sciatica problems.

"piriformis syndrome"

Abnormal motion, fractures, or a herniated disc in the lumbar spine can cause lower back pain, and squeezing of these nerves and sciatica nerve pain or radiculopathy in the buttock and thigh.

The piriformis muscle is one of the buttock muscles, and it overlies the sciatic nerve. Occasionally, the nerve will pass through the middle of the piriformis muscle, instead of passing beneath it. When the piriformis muscle contracts or spasms it can cause piriformis sciatica, also known as piriformis syndrome.

"Pain often mistaken for sciatica..."

Sciatic type nerve pain, in the buttock, can also be caused by an outside pressure on the sciatic nerve, such as from a fall, or even something as simple as sitting on a wallet that is too thick. Pain often mistaken for sciatica is arthritis in the hip, which often causes hip pain radiating into the thigh or leg pain.

Sciatica is a symptom and not a diagnosis. Sciatica can vary from only annoying to causing severe pain. If you are having these symptoms and they are severe, or you think you may have symptoms of cauda equina syndrome, it is important that you see your doctor.

"conservative program of easy exercises, gentle stretches"

If your sciatica symptoms are milder, you are probably safe treating these at home with a conservative program of sciatica treatments, including easy exercises, gentle stretches, and other sciatica home treatments.