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Causes of Sciatica



Sciatica is caused when there is pressure on the sciatic nerve. This could be due to an injury or due to biological causes. Often there are no specific causes for the condition. One could simply get sciatica while lifting something heavy or moving too quickly. Occasionally, the causes stem from physical injuries but there are several causes of sciatica. Some of these include:

• A Herniated Disc: This is one of the most common causes of this condition. The spinal discs, which aid in the movement and pliability of the spine, also absorb shocks when you bend, move around or lift something. Though they are very small, they may often misalign and begin to press on the sciatic nerve. This leads to the sciatic pain.
• Spinal Stenosis: This is another condition in which the canal that contains the spinal cord begins to narrow. This is often a natural response to ageing. The bone also begins to overgrow and eventually puts enough pressure on the sciatic nerve to cause pain and discomfort. People who suffer from this problem often experience back and buttock pain.
• Pregnancy: The growing weight of the abdomen during pregnancy could pinch the sciatic nerve or stretch it, causing it to become irritated or frayed. This eventually causes pain. However, most of the time, this is a temporary pain which goes away after the pregnancy.
• Piriformis Syndrome: The piriformis muscle, which is found in the buttocks, may grow thick and trap the sciatic nerve deep in the buttocks. This puts undue pressure on the nerve and causes sciatic pain.
• Tumors: In rare cases, sciatica may be caused by abnormal growths in the back or the abdomen. Tumors, blood clots, abscesses, osteoarthritis and fractures could also cause sciatica.