Sciatica is a group of neurological symptoms associated with inflammation or compression of the spinal nerve root of the lumbar spine..

Lumbosacral sciatica is a fairly common disease. Most often, the pathology occurs in people over 30 years old.. Since the lumbar segment, consisting of five vertebrae, is the most mobile and experiences the greatest stress, the disease is quite common..

In order to reduce the pain of sciatica, the patient often assumes a protective posture.. He can lie down with a pillow under his stomach, or sit with one leg folded.. The gait can also change: a person tries to reduce the load on the limb into which he gives pain, so he limps.

Causes: Malformations, degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system or serious physical exertion can provoke the occurrence of radiculitis..

One of the common causes of the development of pathology is intervertebral hernia. The most common causes of the development of lumbosacral sciatica include:.

intervertebral hernia. They cause displacement of the nucleus pulposus and rupture of the fibrous ring, which leads to compression of the spinal roots and the appearance of an inflammatory process, accompanied by symptoms of sciatica;

osteochondrosis. Degeneration of the intervertebral discs contributes to a change in the size of the holes through which the roots of the spinal cord pass.. With a long course of the disease, bone growths (osteophytes) are formed on the vertebrae, squeezing the roots, and the associated inflammatory process leads to the development of edema, which increases pain;

spinal injury. Bruises and fractures contribute to the appearance of deformity and scarring, which in turn cause compression of the spinal roots.;

neoplasms in the spinal column. The cause of the symptoms of sciatica can be benign and malignant tumors originating from the intervertebral discs, vertebrae, spinal cord and its membranes, neuromas, hemangiomas or metastases. Growing, neoplasms compress the spinal roots, causing pain;

congenital malformations of the spinal column. According to statistics, they are observed in 50% of children. In 30% of cases, pathologies persist for life.. The cause of lower back pain can be spondylolisthesis, as well as deformation or splitting of the vertebral body, when one side of it becomes higher than the other;

infectious diseases. The cause of sciatica can be abscesses in the spine or osteomyelitis;

diseases of the intervertebral joints. Often, sciatica is associated with diseases such as rheumatism, spondyloarthritis, spondyloarthrosis, or Bechterew's disease.;

external causes. Symptoms of sciatica may occur after heavy lifting, awkward movement, or prolonged exposure to the same position or hypothermia..

Symptoms of lumbosacral sciatica Pain syndrome The main symptom of the disease is pain in the lumbar region. It can be of a different nature: it can be unexpressed or so sharp and burning that the patient cannot get out of bed and walk. Often with radiculitis of the lumbar, pain radiates to the thigh, lower leg or foot.

The main manifestation of sciatica is pain in the lumbar region Pain syndrome can occur suddenly, after lifting weights or hypothermia. In response to irritation of the nerve endings, the location of which is the fibrous ring of the intervertebral disc, a reflex spasm of the muscles occurs. An attack of pain can paralyze a person, he freezes in one position for several minutes (may even fall).

At the initial stage of the disease, the pain is unbearable, shooting, throbbing. The duration of the attack can be from several minutes to two hours.. The lower back is stiff and the muscles are tense, while the patient cannot bend. A person is afraid to move, so as not to cause a new attack with an awkward movement..

In some cases, with a chronic form of sciatica, the pain is subacute.. It is dull, aching, aggravated by any movement or cough. Pain may radiate to one or both legs. Quite often there is an increased tone of the lumbar muscles.

Loss of sensationAnother sign of sciatica can be a loss of sensation.. Compression of the nerve root leads to the fact that numbness occurs in the zone of its innervation..

Tactile, pain or temperature sensitivity of the skin may also disappear.. Sometimes, when the peripheral nerves are affected, a feeling of goosebumps, coldness, or tingling occurs in this area..

Violation of muscle tone With severe damage to the nerve roots, which is observed in the patient for a long time, muscle tone is disturbed. In severe cases, muscle atrophy may occur..

Violation of sensitivity and movement, in contrast to pain, occurs only from the side of the damaged nerve root.. It is not double sided..

Diagnosis With sciatica, the patient has certain symptoms that indicate the presence of the disease. Conventionally, they are divided into two groups:.

Group of symptoms.

Description.

Weakening of reflexes.

As a result of compression of the nerves, the reflex reaction of the muscles to irritation becomes weak..

Tension symptoms.

If the patient, who is lying on his back, is asked to raise his outstretched leg, then he experiences pain in the lower back and back of the thigh, which indicates the presence of sciatica. When he rolls over on his stomach and the doctor tries to lift the limb, the pain appears in the front of the thigh.

In order to identify spinal injuries, malformations or displacement of the vertebrae relative to each other, x-rays are taken. The presence of a herniated disc can be determined using computed tomography.

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