Sciatica : (noun)
1: neuralgia along the sciatic nerve
Based on WordNet 2.0
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Ischiadic \Is`chi*ad"ic\, a. [L. ischiadicus, Gr. ?, fr. ? the
hip joint, hip or loin. Cf. Sciatic.] (Anat.)
Ischial. [R.]
Ischiadic passion or disease (Med.), a rheumatic or
neuralgic affection of some part about the hip joint; --
called also sciatica.
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
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Sciatica : \Sci*at"i*ca\, n. [NL.] (Med.)
Neuralgia of the sciatic nerve, an affection characterized by
paroxysmal attacks of pain in the buttock, back of the thigh,
or in the leg or foot, following the course of the branches
of the sciatic nerve. The name is also popularly applied to
various painful affections of the hip and the parts adjoining
it. See Ischiadic passion, under Ischiadic.
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
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Sciatica : What is sciatica?
Sciatica is pain resulting from irritation of the sciatic nerve. Sciatica pain is typically felt from the low back to behind the thigh and radiating down below the knee. The sciatic nerve is the
largest nerve in the body and begins from nerve roots in the lumbar spinal cord in the low back and extends through the buttock area to send nerve endings down the lower limb.
What are causes of sciatica?
While sciatica is most commonly a result of a disc herniation directly pressing on the nerve, any cause of irritation or inflammation of this nerve can reproduce the symptoms of sciatica. These
cause include irritation of the nerve from adjacent bone, tumors, muscle, internal bleeding, infections, injury, and other causes.
How is sciatica treated?
Bed rest has been traditionally advocated for the treatment of sciatica. But how useful is it?
To study the effectiveness of bed rest in patients with sciatica of sufficient severity to justify treatment with bed rest for 2 weeks, a research team in the Netherlands led by Dr. Patrick Vroomen
randomly assigned 183 such patients to bed rest or, alternatively, to watchful waiting for this period.
To gauge the outcome, both primary and secondary measures were examined. The primary outcome measures were the global assessments of improvement after 2 and 12 weeks by the doctor and the patient.
The secondary outcome measures were changes in functional status and in pain scores, absenteeism from work, and the need for surgical intervention. Neither the doctors who assessed the outcomes nor
those involved in data entry and analysis were aware of the patients' treatment assignments.
The results, reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, showed that after 2 weeks, 64 of the 92 (70 percent) of the patients in the bed-rest group reported improvement, as compared with 59 of
the 91 (65 percent) of the patients in the control (watchful- waiting) group. After 12 weeks, 87 percent of the patients in both groups reported improvement. The results of assessments of the
intensity of pain, the bothersomeness of symptoms, and functional status revealed no significant differences between the two groups. The extent of absenteeism from work and rates of surgical
intervention were similar in the two groups.
The researchers concluded that: "Among patients with symptoms and signs of a lumbosacral radicular syndrome, bed rest is not a more effective therapy than watchful waiting." Sometimes
conventional wisdom is not as wise as research!
Other treatments for sciatica include addressing the underlying cause, medications to relieve pain and inflammation and relax muscles, and physical therapy.
- Sciatica is a nerve pain from irritation of the sciatic nerve.
- The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body.
- Sciatica pain is typically felt from the low back to behind
the thigh and radiating down below the knee.
- Treatments for sciatica depend on the underlying cause and the severity.
Reference: Patrick C.A.J. Vroomen, Marc C.T.F.M. de Krom, Jan T. Wilmink, Arnold D.M. Kester, J. Andre Knottnerus. Lack of Effectiveness of Bed Rest for Sciatica. N Engl J Med 1999; 340:418- 23.
Based on University of Miami School of Medicine [Medical_Dictionary]:
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Sciatica : Sciatica : Pain resulting from irritation of the sciatic nerve, typically felt from the low back to behind the thigh and radiating down below the knee. While sciatica can result from a
herniated disc directly pressing on the nerve, any cause of irritation or inflammation of this nerve can reproduce the painful symptoms of sciatica. Diagnosis is by observation of symptoms, physical
and nerve testing, and sometimes by X-ray or MRI if a herniated disk is suspected.
Treatment options include avoiding movements that further irritate the condition, medication, physical therapy, and sometimes surgery.
Based on University of Miami School of Medicine [Medical_Dictionary]:
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