Sciatic nerve pain (commonly called just sciatica) is usually experienced as a shooting or burning pain in the low back or buttock that radiates down the back of the leg.
Causes of sciatica include:
* Compression of the sciatic nerve in the lower spine or buttock from a herniated (slipped) disc
* Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the space around the spinal cord)
* Traumatic injury
* Arthritis of lower spine
In many cases, no obvious cause can be found.
Common "home remedies" for sciatica include:
* Losing excess weight
* Applying ice
* Stretching and exercising, with the goal of strengthening the muscles of the abdomen and low back
* Avoiding sitting too long, especially on a hard surface
* Changing your mattress to one that is firmer and more supportive
* Massage
* Yoga
Avoid staying in bed too long. Prolonged best rest is unhelpful and may even make things worse.
Standard medical approaches to treatment include:
* Rest, balanced with stretching and exercise (often with a physical therapist)
* Pain relievers, such as ibuprofen, naproxen or acetaminophen
* Drugs for nerve pain, such as amitriptyline (Elavil) or gabapentin (Neurontin)
* Injections of corticosteroids near the area of the compressed nerve
* Surgery to repair a slipped disc or to decompress spinal stenosis (though surgery is generally considered a treatment of last resort and only in cases in which a surgically correctable abnormality is present)
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