5 causes of sciatica

Sciatica is not actually a health condition; it is a symptom, and a misnamed one at that. It refers to buttock, thigh, and leg pain, but that pain can arise from a variety of causes. The name comes from the sciatic nerve, the body's largest.

There is one sciatic nerve on each side of the body, running through the buttock and down the leg into the foot and toes. Yet the most common causes of sciatica involve not direct injury to the sciatic nerve itself, but to the nerves higher in the spine that join to form it.

The right treatment depends on the cause, such as a herniated disc, an injury, or a pinched sciatic nerve in the buttocks. Sciatica can also appear in late pregnancy, as ligaments loosen and the growing baby puts indirect pressure on the nerve.

For most people, home treatment is enough. Even without knowing the cause, you can take steps to relieve the pain:

Move. A few days of rest is fine, but ideally move as much as you can as soon as you can. If moving seems to worsen the pain, see a doctor and talk it through.

Ice and heat. Ice helps for the first week; after that, applying heat can help.

Over-the-counter pain relievers, staying within the recommended dose.

Most sciatica improves on its own, but sometimes a doctor's visit is prudent to rule out something more serious. Make an appointment if you are under 20 or over 55 and having sciatica for the first time; your symptoms are severe; you have weakness in a leg or foot; you have a fever along with the pain; or you have a history of cancer.