Sciatica Nerve

Sciatica is the name of the peripheral neuropathy which causes back pain. Sciatic pain is a sharp pain that initiates at your buttocks and slowly moves down the thighs, cuffs and leg joints. The two most common causes of sciatica are the herniated disk. It is most commonly called slipped disk. The other is Piriformis Syndrome, a pain caused by the piriformis muscle in your buttock due to spasm, irritation or inflammation. But in most cases, the sciatica nerve is responsible for it.

The sciatica nerve is the longest single nerve that runs down from the buttocks to the lower limbs. The sciatica nerve enters the lower leg just below the piriformis muscle in your buttock.

The nerves then moves into the lower legs portion and gets divided into two branches - muscular and articular branches. When the sciatica nerve is under compression for some cause, it gives rise to a pain called sciatica pain. It becomes almost unbearable and the person can’t sit properly or remain standing. In this condition, he or she feels like an impaired person.

How sciatica nerve causes the sciatica pain?
The sciatica nerve is most closely related to herniated disc. The discs between the spinal joints slip out due to some injury or gradually. This could be a result of bad posture of sitting. The slipped disc in the lower joints of the spine exerts pressure on the sciatica nerve. Since, the nerve is very sensitive and complicated in structure, a slight pressure is unbearable for it. The pressure slowly builds prostaglandins. These are the substances responsible for pain and swelling of the muscles. The pain travels via the nerve, downward, and this is how the sciatica pain is generated.