4 Causes of Sciatica

The condition obtaining when pressure is placed on the sciatic nerve leading to localized back pain is known in medical language as Sciatica. There are only four major causes that are known to induce this problem and they are:-

1. Piriformis Syndrome.

This is a condition where a muscle imbalance leads to the hips and pelvis being out of alignment. In turn, this imbalance becomes responsible for shortening and tightening the piriformis muscle, putting pressure on the sciatic nerve. The body has 640 muscles and when even one of those is out of balance, you have a problem. Muscle imbalance means that one side of the muscle is stronger as compared to the other and effectively pulls the other side along with the bones and joints out of place.

 2. Herniated discs.
 
When a disc projects out from the vertebra, it is known as a herniated disc. Yes, the cause again is a muscle imbalance and the resultant pressure over a period of time causes this condition. Any amount of drugs, injections of chiropractic work or even stimulation cannot correct the muscle imbalance. Sadly though, the struggle with back pain goes on for years at length for many people because in the first place, they seldom get to the underlying problem of why the disc became herniated.

3. Spinal stenosis.

When the spinal canal narrows and the nerves come under pressure, this is when spinal stenosis results. The cause of spinal stenosis is again divided into 4 main areas.

Aging: -   With age advancing, the ligaments between the vertebra and the facets joints of the spinal column gets affected and make them harden. In certain cases it has been noticed that spurs can also develop on the bones.

Trauma: - Automobile accidents, Injuries while lifting or on the shop floor, falling from a height etc. can damage the spine and spinal canal which are so delicate. 

Heredity: - In younger people, due to heredity, a small spinal canal or other structural problems are known to have lead to spinal stenosis.

Fluorosis: - Excessive exposure to materials containing fluorides or other chemicals cause softening of the bones or the ligaments become harder. This phenomenon is known as Fluorosis.

 4. Isthmic Spondylolisthesis.

In Isthmic Spondylolisthesis, one vertebra slips out of position and in fact, moves in and out of place. This aberration causes pain in the nerves of the spinal canal. Degenerative diseases like arthritis and an area where the curvature of the spine is the most is mostly at the root of the problem.

That then is a synopsis of the four main causes of Sciatica. Identifying the muscle imbalances is therefore the next step on your road to permanent relief from back pain. Once the identification is done, you must put in place the right steps to correct those imbalances. The discussion above should have provided you a ringside view of how back pain develops. With this knowledge, you should be in a better position to evolve a strategy for recovery.

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