The sciatic nerve is the main nerve in the leg and the largest in the body. It runs from the base of the spine, along the back of the thigh to the knee, where it divides into branches.
Sciatic pain is usually caused by compression of this nerve root at the point where it leaves the spine. Damage to the nerve can also cause pain. In young and early middle-aged adults, the most common cause of sciatica is a prolapsed intervertebral disc in the lumbosacral area of the lower back.
In older people, changes in the spine due to conditions such as osteoarthritis may be responsible either by causing localized pressure on the nerve or by narrowing of the spinal canal – called spinal stenosis. Other bone disease or local injury may also be responsible.
Pressure on the sciatic nerve can result from a number of reasons including:
- Herniated disc
- Spinal misalignments, vertebral dysfunction
- Poor lifting technique and poor bending habits
- Poor posture
- Spinal compressions due to osteoporosis
- Piriformis syndrome (tightness of the piriformis muscle in the buttock that compresses the sciatic nerve)
At Coolangatta-Tweed Osteopathy, one of our Osteopaths will conduct a full musculoskeletal and orthopedic examination to find the true underlying cause of the sciatica. Osteopaths treat the related joints, muscles, ligaments or tendons to reduce the pressure on the sciatic nerve and reduce pain.
