Sciatica is a condition where pressure is placed on the sciatic nerve, causing localized back pain. Thankfully, there are only 4 main causes for Sciatica.
1. Piriformis Syndrome. This condition is where an imbalance in the muscles leads to the hips and pelvis being out of alignment. This imbalance ultimately shortens and tightens the piriformis muscle, with in turn puts pressure on the sciatic nerve. With 640 muscles in the body, all it takes is 1 to be out of balance and you have a problem.When we talk about a muscle imbalance, we mean that one side is stronger than the other, which effectively pulls the other side (and the bones and joints) out of place.
2. Herniated discs. A herniated disc is where a disc sticks out from between the vertebra. You guessed it already -- it's caused by a muscle imbalance and resulting pressure over time leads to this condition. You may also have guessed that no amount of chiropractic work, drugs, injections or stimulation can correct a muscle imbalance. Sadly, many people struggle with back pain for years because they never get to the underlying problem of why the disc became herniated in the first place.
3. Spinal stenosis. Spinal stenonis is a condition where the spinal canal narrows and pressure is placed on the nerves and there are 4 main causes.
Aging: the aging process effects the ligaments between vertebra and also the facet joints of the spinal column by making them harden. Spurs can also develop on the bones.
Trauma: car accidents, lifting injuries, etc, can damage the delicate spine and spinal canal.
Heredity: A small spinal canal or other structural problem can lead to spinal stenosis in a young person.
Fluorosis: caused by over-exposure to chemicals or other fluoride containing materials and leads to a softening of the bones or hardening of the ligaments.
4. Isthmic Spondylolisthesis. This is where one vertebra slips out of position and effectively moves in and out of place, which causes pain in the nerves of the spinal canal. It is primarily caused by degenerative diseases like arthritis and in the area where there is the most curvature of the spine.
So there you have it, the 4 main causes of Sciatica.
The next step to permanent relief from back pain is to identify the muscle imbalances. Once they have been determined, then you must take the right steps towards correcting them. You now have a great understanding of just how back pain develops, so you are in a much better position to formulate a strategy for recovery than 95% of everyone else out there.
Derek Semp is the author of the recently released ebook, "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Back Pain And Physical Therapy But Never Dared To Ask." He runs http://backpainz.com
