Sciatica lower back pain is by far the absolute worst of all the sciatic nerve symptoms. While pain, tingling, numbness and weakness in the legs can be severe, pain experienced in the lower back is truly debilitating. Affected patients generally can not do even the simplest tasks without enduring horrific agony.
It is crucial to know that sciatica itself can not exist in the low back, since the sciatic nerve does not even originate until lower in the anatomy. However, since sciatica is often caused by lumbar or lumbosacral nerve root issues, and these structures do exist in the low back, the source process of symptoms which are present in the low back and legs may be one and the same.
This essay will detail the occurrence of lower back pain and related sciatic nerve symptoms.
Sciatica Lower Back Pain and Spasms
The only thing worse than normal low back pain, is when it is accompanied by muscular spasms. The terribly painful events occur when one of the major postural muscles goes into uncontrollable contraction. The muscle becomes so tight and painful that most patients are simply forced into bed to wait out the attack. Lower back spasms are certainly one of the most painful experiences a person might ever suffer during their lifetime.
It is no surprise that the postural muscles are those often involved in both lower back pain and sciatica. These muscles compose the entire lower back muscular anatomy, the buttocks and parts of the upper leg.
Some patients are particularly unfortunate and suffer spasms in both their back and legs. These poor souls are unable to do much of anything during one of these miserable episodes. Sitting, standing and even reclining are all unbearable. This is exactly the kind of pain that I endured on several occasions during the decades I battled chronic back and leg pain.
Is Low Back Pain Related to Sciatica?
Most cases of sciatica lower back pain are deemed to exist due to central spinal stenosis or foraminal stenosis in the lower back. These conditions are known to cause pain locally, as well as radicular expressions, typically called sciatica. Regardless of the causative process which might enact these structural changes in the lumbar region, and there are many, the results are the same.
Since the spinal cord has already separated to form the cauda equina, one or more nerve roots may be compressed within the central canal or as they seek egress from the canal through the foraminal openings.
The point to remember here is that true ongoing compression of a nerve root is unlikely to create chronic pain. As a nerve suffers lasting compression, it stops signaling altogether and should enact objective numbness in the affected innervated regions of the body. Obviously, this is not the typical expression of chronic sciatica, so it is always advised to seek neurological correlation to be sure of the source process before seeking treatment. Never assume that lumbar structural abnormalities are indeed the true causation until verified. Learn more about various sources of sciatica and lower back pain on Low-Back-Pain.Org.
Sciatica Lower Back Pain Double Torture
I know exactly what you are feeling every day you must live with acute or chronic leg and back pain symptoms. Radicular pain, such as sciatica, is a nightmare and when the burden of lower back pain is thrown into the mix, you surely have a real problem on your hands.
During the decades I spent suffering, I was not just allowing the pain to ravage my life. I did everything to find a cure, including traveling to see literally dozens of doctors and therapists around the world. I spent tens of thousands of dollars, out of my own pocket, on treatments which promised the world, but delivered nothing but great disappointment and even greater financial hardship for me and my family. I wanted to be cured of my pain so badly, I was willing to do virtually anything to find relief.
I want to caution all patients to always investigate all the possible reasons for their pain before undergoing targeted care. If the therapies selected do not work to resolve the true cause of pain, they will fail, just as mine have time and time again.
Sciatica lower back pain can be caused by other less commonly considered scenarios and may be incorrectly blamed on incidental lumbar degeneration. Cervical spinal stenosis is a common true source of symptoms, but other nonspinal conditions may also be to blame, such as in the cases of fibromyalgia, various forms of neuropathy and some diseases.
If the cause of the symptoms truly does reside in the lower back, then appropriate treatment should provide relief. Keep this in your mind as you eventually pursue therapy and deal with results which may be less satisfying than expected or hoped.
