Is sciatica a disorder or a symptom??

This entry will be in english and also hav many medical terms..so..i'm so sorry if u guys as a readers got a problem to understand it..but i'll explain it later in malay..:)

Just interesting with this article that i'd got from internet.. but this disorder or symptoms remind me to my buddy..

Lets start it...

The term sciatica is commonly used to describe pain traveling in the distribution of the sciatic nerve. Sciatica is a symptom caused by a disorder occurring in the lumbar spine. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the human body, about the diameter of a finger.
Sciatic nerve fibers begin at the 4th and 5th lumbar vertebra (L4, L5) and the first few segments of the sacrum. The nerve passes through the sciatic foramen just below the Piriformis muscle (rotates the thigh laterally), to the back of the extension of the hip and to the lower part of the Gluteus Maximus (muscle in the buttock, thigh extension). The sciatic nerve then runs vertically downward into the back of the thigh, behind the knee branching into the hamstring muscles (calf) and further downward to the feet.

1 Sciatic Nerve (yellow) 2 Sacrum 3 Hip Bone Yellow = Nerves Red = Arteries Blue = Veins

Sciatica Symptoms

Usually sciatica affects one side of the body. The pain may be dull, sharp, burning, or accompanied by intermittent shocks of shooting pain beginning in the buttock traveling downward into the back or side of the thigh and/or leg. Sciatica then extends below the knee and may be felt in the feet. Sometimes symptoms include tingling and numbness. Sitting and trying to stand up may be painful and difficult. Coughing and sneezing can intensify the pain.

The Cause: Nerve Compression
Compression of the sciatic nerve can cause any of the above-cited symptoms. Rarely is nerve damage permanent and paralysis is seldom a danger as the spinal cord ends before the first lumbar vertebra. However, increasing trunk or leg weakness, or bladder and/or bowel incontinence is an indication of Cauda Equina Syndrome, a serious disorder requiring emergency treatment.

Lumbar spine disorders known to cause sciatic nerve compression include the following:

• Herniated discs are the most common cause of sciatica in the lumbar spine.
• Degenerative Disc Disease, a natural biological process associated with aging, is known to cause disc weakness that can be a precursor to a disc herniation.
• Lumbar Spinal Stenosis is a narrowing of one or more neural passageways due to disc degeneration and/or facet arthritis. The sciatic nerve may become impinged as a result of these changes.
• Isthmic Spondylolisthesis results from a stress fracture often at the 5th lumbar vertebra (L5). The fracture combined with disc space collapse may allow the vertebra to slip forward on the first sacral segment (S1). The slippage may cause the L5 nerve root to become pinched as it leaves the spine.

Spinal Tumors and Infections are other disorders that may compress the sciatic nerve, but this is rare.

There are other conditions, which may occur, and may mimic true sciatica but these are difficult to diagnose.

Diagnose

Diagnosis of Sciatica The physician's examination includes the patient's medical history, a review of current medications, a physical and neurologic examination and, if warranted, x-rays, CT scan and/or MRI. A proper diagnosis requires an analysis of the patient's pain. The patient is often provided a Pain Diagram to illustrate pain distribution and sensation (eg, tingling and burning).

summary..

hehe..actually dlm bdn kite ade 1 big nerve [saraf] yg dipggl sciatic nerve.. sciatic nerve ni supply kat bhgian kaki.. so, tuk pesakit yg ade sciatic symptoms ni..sbnarnye salah 1 sbb die adalh nerve compression.. ape yg mnyebabkn nerve kite di compress??

die ade sbb laen..antaranya ialah..herniated dics [vertebra dics yg terkeluar], degenerative nerve disease, lumbar spinal stenosis [sempit] and if the patients hav lumbar vertebra yg patah...sbb2 ni la yg boley watkn kite nye sciatic nerve tu compressed..sbb lain..kalau kite ade tumor [ketumbuhan] ataupn jangkitan kat tulang belakang lumbar pn boley wat nerve ni compress..

tanda2..patient mayb rasa kebas2..rasa sakit yg mcucuk2 kat bhgian buttock sampi la bhgian belakang paha dan kaki..pesakit akn rasa lebih sakit bile die duduk lama2 atau pn bile die nk bangun..sllnye sciatis symptoms ni jd kat sblh kaki je..tp depends jugak..

so..heheh.. slmt mmbaca!!!