Sciatica from the lumbar herniated disc The term sciatica refers to a group of symptoms, like pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness that radiates along your sciatic nerve—which typically courses from your lower backtrack to your feet. The medical term for sciatica is lumbar radiculopathy—a condition of nervus spinalis roots within the lower back that get irritated or compressed, sending pain and neurological symptoms into your lower extremities. You might be surprised to find out that one among the foremost common causes of sciatica may be a lumbar ruptured intervertebral disc. Let us see how a lumbar ruptured intervertebral disc may result in searing pain in your leg or numbness in your foot. Herniated discs can irritate your sciatic nerve roots. Your lower back (lumbar spine) carries weight and is consistently in motion, making your spinal discs vulnerable to injury and pain. Any bruise to your disc can cause the inner soft-core (nucleus pulposus) to migrate from its normal position and push against the fibrous outer layers (annulus fibrosus). It is also possible for the soft material to leak by tearing the fibrous rings. Your discs located close to your spinal cord and spinal nerve roots (part of a spinal nerve as it exits the spinal cord). The nervus ischiadicus is one among several nerve roots which will be suffering from a ruptured intervertebral disc. Each spinal nerve root sends pain into a part of the leg. When a disc herniated, it can: • Discharge out chemical substances to inflame one or more of the sciatic nerve roots. • Cause a mechanical compression of the nerve root. Sciatica pain and neurological symptoms like; numbness, tingling, and weakness travel down from the affected nerve root into your leg and foot. Sciatica Symptoms: • Range from infrequent and aggravating to severe and debilitating. • Irritated and compressed spinal nerve root at the origin of the sciatic nerve. One or more nerve roots could also be affected together. Common Sciatica Symptoms Usually, sciatica affects just one leg at a time & the symptoms radiate from the lower back or buttock to the thigh and down the leg. Sciatica may cause pain within the front, back, and sides of the thigh and leg. A few common symptoms seen in sciatica are: 1. Pain. Sciatica pain may be constant or intermittent. The pain is a burning sensation or a sharp shooting pain. The pain is typically more severe within the leg compared to the rear. Leg pain commonly occurs more within the calf region below the knee than other parts of the leg. See Types of Sciatic Nerve Pain: Numbness Tingling A pins-and-needles sensation felt at the rear of the leg. Weakness within the leg and foot. A feeling of heaviness within the affected leg may make it difficult to lift the foot off the ground. Change in posture may aggravate or relieve pain. Some positions may affect sciatica pain: Sciatica pain may feel worse while sitting, trying to confront, standing for an extended time, bending the spine forward, twisting the spinal and while coughing. Pain may remain constant or may increase while lying down, causing disturbed sleep. Lying on the rear with the knees slightly elevated and propped up with a pillow, or lying on one side with a cushion between the legs, may help relieve the pain in such cases. The pain could also be relieved while walking, applying a heat pack to the rear pelvic area, or doing pelvic exercises. There could also be other sciatica symptoms that are specific to the affected nerve root. Guidelines to stop sciatica if you have got a ruptured intervertebral disc: • Daily bending, lifting, twisting, and prolonged sitting activities contribute to disc Herniation. Changing questionable routines and implementing new practices can assist you to prevent a replacement disc Herniation and recurrent irritation of your nervus ischiadicus roots from a previously ruptured intervertebral disc. • Protect your discs after sustained sitting or bending Long periods of sitting or bending can increase the load on your discs by almost 40%, making them vulnerable to injury. After prolonged sitting or bending, avoid lifting or performing high energy tasks. For example, avoid lifting a bag of soil after bending and weeding for an extended time or lifting heavy luggage after sitting during an extended drive or flight. Stand straight for a couple of minutes and permit your discs to recover and reshape before attempting sudden or exertive movements. • Maintain a safe lumbar arch when you bend We bend our spine often, like while doing household chores, lifting something off the ground, working, or sitting. Maintain a safe lumbar arch can help reduce the strain on your discs caused by performing such activities. While bending, maintain a secure lumbar bend by: • Bending at your knees while lifting something off the ground • Avoid pivoting at your spine. Instead, use your hips while leaning forward • For lifting small objects, use a golfer's lifting technique • Moving an object by pushing instead of pulling • Resting one leg on a footstool if required to face for an extended time, like while washing dishes • Sitting with the shoulders rolled back. • Maintain the natural alignment of the spine. • Also, make a conscious effort to avoid stooping, hunching, or slouching once you bend, stand, walk, or sit. • Use assistive aids to reduce disc pressure, such as: Luggage with wheels Grocery or laundry carts, baskets For side sleepers, pillows placed between legs or for back sleepers, pillows under knees. When you use these aids daily, it may protect your sciatic nerve roots from constant irritation of a lumbar herniated disc. • Perform back extension exercises Exercises that let you bend your spine backwards, such as the McKenzie technique, may help relieve pain from a herniated disc. These exercises help centralize your sciatica pain, which may help treat and heal the disc Herniation. It is necessary to find out extension exercises from a trained physiotherapist to know the correct form and technique and avoid other complications. When you have sciatica from a ruptured intervertebral disc, exercises that include repeated forward bending or twisting are usually not advised and avoided. If your lumbar ruptured intervertebral disc causes persistent or severe sciatica symptoms that aren't relieved by self-care, visit a doctor for a diagnostic checkup and supervised medical treatment. Severe lumbar disc Herniation can cause cauda equina syndrome, which causes bowel or bladder dysfunction, numbness within the genital region and severe leg weakness. Consult your doctor immediately if you experience one or more of those symptoms.