Pain In The Buttocks And Sciatica: Signs, Symptoms, And Finding Relief

Of the many and varied sources of buttock pain, one of the most frustrating and distressing is undoubtedly sciatic pain. When sciatic pain strikes, it's known as sciatica.

Sciatica is actually a variety of nerve pain and it occurs due to damage or trauma to the sciatic nerve. This nerve originates in the spinal column, stretches through the buttock area and down to the lower limbs. It is also the largest and longest individual nerve in your body (approximately the diameter of your thumb in some places). So when it's damaged, the resulting discomfort can be severe and unrelenting.

It's also typical for sciatic nerve damage to trigger a tingling or numbing sensation along the nerve pathway.

Ordinarily, sciatic nerve pain starts in the spinal column, when discs or vertebrae are worn or damaged. This results in inflammation. Pain from a damaged sciatic nerve can be felt anywhere along the path of the nerve: in your back, in your buttocks, in your legs or feet.

Besides normal wear and tear, there are a number of other ways the sciatic nerve can become injured or damaged. Here are some of the most common.

Very often sciatica is caused by a herniated disc in the spinal column. A herniated disc is a disc that is out of it's usual position, and is thus pressing on nerves in the back.

A typical cause of sciatica is incorrect posture. Your teachers knew what they were doing when they kept nagging you to sit up straight. Lousy posture can place pressure on the sciatic nerve in a number of ways.

Sciatic pain can also be a sign or symptom of other medical disorders and conditions. including:

a disorder known as spinal stenosis, caused by narrowing of the spinal canal

bone spurs due to arthritis, or

a pinched nerve

Sciatica pain varies greatly depending on the nature of the problem. Sometimes it can be slight and annoying. But it can also be severe – even excruciating. Those who have had sciatica have reported that it can even feel like a jolt of electricity. Movement in the affected area makes it worse. You could experience a sharp pain during a sneeze or cough. Prolonged sitting can aggravate symptoms.

Typically just one lower extremity is affected..

Sciatic nerve pain typically gets worse when you sit or stand for a long time. However, walking, lying down and motions that stretch or extend the spinal column may relieve the discomfort.

Depending on the cause, acute sciatica usually passes without treatment within a couple of months. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do to relieve your discomfort in the meantime.

There is no scientific evidence at this point that ice packs or heating pads will bring any real pain relief.

However, over-the-counter pain relievers and certain kinds of steroid injections may help.

If buttock pain caused by sciatica continues for more than a couple of days, you should call your doctor. He or she may recommend physical therapy. Certain exercise may also be useful. Surgery is not typical in sciatica cases, but may be an option when your doctor thinks there's no alternative.

To learn more on topics related to buttock pain, click on causes of hip buttock pain and buttock pain and piriformis syndrome. Neal Kennedy is a retired TV and radio reporter. To read more of his articles, visit Causes Of Buttock Pain at http://www.buttockpain.info.