Sciatica refers to back pain caused by a problem with the sciatic nerve. This is a large nerve that runs from the lower back down the back of each leg. When something injures or puts pressure on the sciatic nerve, it can cause pain in the lower back that spreads to the hip, buttocks, and leg.
Sciatica refers to pain that travels along the path of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve travels from the lower back through the hips and buttocks and down each leg. Sciatica most often occurs when a herniated disk or an overgrowth of bone puts pressure on part of the nerve.
Causes of Buttock Pain
Pain in the lower back and buttock region is most often caused by minor injuries to the muscles and ligaments of the lower back. Causes include sports injuries, standing or sitting for prolonged periods, poor posture, lifting in awkward positions and a sedentary life style.
Your buttock pain when sitting might happen due to different conditions, including proximal hamstring tendinopathy, ischial tuberosity bursitis, sciatica (lumbar nerve root impingement), piriformis syndrome, and gluteal tendinopathy.
One of the big red flags for diagnosing sciatica is that the pain is usually limited to only one side of the body. Other red flags that indicate sciatica include pain when standing or sitting, numbness in the legs and weakness or numbness when moving a leg or foot.
Sciatica often comes on suddenly, and it can take three to six months before it resolves itself. Lower back pain differs from sciatica in that it can be caused by any number of things, from minor accidents, poor sleep, or even moving too suddenly.
There are four sciatica exercises your spine specialist may recommend to help you reduce sciatic nerve pain caused by degenerative disc disease: pelvic tilt, knee to chest, lower trunk rotations, and all fours opposite arm and leg extensions.
Alternating heat and ice therapy can provide immediate relief of sciatic nerve pain. Ice can help reduce inflammation, while heat encourages blood flow to the painful area (which speeds healing). Heat and ice may also help ease painful muscle spasms that often accompany sciatica.
For the majority of patients, acute sciatica pain resolves within 1 – 2 weeks. In some cases, behavioral modification or at-home remedies may be adequate for relieving sciatica pain. However, certain patients may develop chronic sciatica pain which may wax and wane but remains present over many years.
Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do to treat buttock pain that's occurring because of arthritis or injuries to your lower back or hips. “Any form of arthritis that affects the hips or lower back can cause buttock pain,” says Claudette Lajam, MD, orthopedic surgeon with NYU Langone in New York City.
Buttock pain can result from a variety of different causes, including osteoarthritis, sciatica, piriformis syndrome, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, hamstring tendonitis, trochanteric bursitis, coccydynia, and hemorrhoids.
Many cases of sciatica go away within four to six weeks without needing professional medical treatment. More severe cases may also take weeks or months to get better, especially if you have more severe symptoms.
Sharp pain rather than a dull ache: This could indicate a torn muscle or ligament, or a problem with an internal organ in the back or side. 2. Radiating pain: This pain "moves" or shoots to the glutes or legs, which could indicate a nerve compression condition. Radiating pain could be a sign of nerve damage.
If the pain lasts four weeks or longer. If the pain keeps getting worse as time goes by. If you are experiencing other symptoms, such as fever, major weight loss or weight gain, loss of function or weakness in extremities, bladder problems, etc.
Numbness or decreased sensation in the area supplied by the nerve. Sharp, aching or burning pain, which may radiate outward. Tingling, pins and needles sensations (paresthesia) Muscle weakness in the affected area.
Sciatic nerve pain is caused by compression, irritation, inflammation, and pinching of a nerve in the lumbar spine. The most common cause of a sciatica flare-up is a herniated or slipped disc in the lower back.
Even though it probably hurts to some degree, walking is actually good for sciatica. Dr. Shah points out that walking promotes blood flow throughout the body, and can even make the nerves more resilient.
On the back – Research shows that many people find relief from pain when sleeping on their back. This can relieve pressure on the low back and sciatic nerve. For best results, elevate the knees by placing one or more pillows beneath them. Make sure the neck is also supported with a pillow.
As a general rule, you should avoid squatting, twisting, running, jumping, or any high-impact activity if you have sciatica. You should also avoid bending forward with straight legs or any seated or lying exercise that requires you to lift both legs off the ground at the same time.
Processed and sugary foods can increase inflammation, worsening sciatic nerve pain. Avoid eating foods high in saturated fat, processed carbohydrates, and added sugars to reduce your risk of sciatica flare-ups.
In addition to providing hydration, drinking water has the potential to alleviate sciatica, a common source of lower back and leg pain. Drinking water can slow the progression of symptoms and ease discomfort.
Sciatica occurs when there is pressure on or damage to the sciatic nerve. This nerve starts in the lower back and runs down the back of each leg. This nerve controls the muscles of the back of the knee and lower leg.
There are two potential trigger points in the glutes that could refer pain to the sciatic nerve. The first is located on the top of the glute, and the second is located on the side of the glute. To release these points, you can use a lacrosse ball or tennis ball.