Sciatica and Buttock Pain

spinal stenosis

Of the many and varied sources of buttock pain, one of the most distressing is - without a doubt - sciatic pain. When you have this condition, it's known as sciatica.

Sciatica is actually a form of nerve pain, and it because of damage or trauma to the sciatic nerve. This nerve starts out in the spinal column, stretches through the buttocks and down to the lower limbs. It is approximately the diameter of your thumb. It is also the largest and longest individual nerve in your body. So when it's damaged, especially in the buttock area, the discomfort can be severe and unrelenting.

It's also not unusual for sciatic nerve damage to cause a tingling or numbing sensation along the nerve pathway.

Causes of Buttock Pain from Sciatica

Typically, sciatic nerve pain begins in the spine, when discs or vertebrae are worn, injured or damaged. This results in inflammation. There are a variety of places sciatic pain can strike, depending on the location of the damage to the nerve: buttocks, back, legs or feet.

A herniated disc, which takes place when a spinal disc presses against nerve roots, is a common cause of sciatica.

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

But even good posture is no sure way to escape sciatic pain. Just the act of sitting in the same place for a long period of time can wear down or irritate the sciatica nerve. People who work in cubicles where they must sit in one place, hour after hour, day after day, are especially likely to experience buttock pain from sciatica.

A number of other medical conditions may cause sciatic pain, including:

• spinal stenosis, a condition which occurs when the spinal canal becomes too narrow,



• bone spurs caused by arthritis, or



• when a nerve becomes pinched.

Relieving Buttock Pain from Sciatica

Sciatic nerve pain often is aggravated when you sit or stand for a long time. However, walking, lying down and movements that extend the spinal column may help reduce the pain. Contrary to conventional wisdom, there's been no scientific evidence proving that putting heat or ice on the painful area will do much good in relieving sciatica.

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 visit your doctor. He or she may recommend physical therapy. Surgery for sciatic pain is usually done only in the most severe cases.