How Sciatica Develops in the Lower Back

Sciatica originates in the lower back, where the sciatic nerve is vulnerable to compression when the anatomical components of the spine begin to deteriorate later in life. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, starting in the lumbar region of the spine and branching down through the lower back, the buttocks, the legs, the feet, and the toes. These are the areas of the body affected by symptoms when the sciatic nerve is compressed.

Sciatica and the Aging Lower Back

As the body ages, the vertebral joints, intervertebral discs, and other components of the lower spine begin to wear down. Eventually, this deterioration can threaten the stability of the lower spine, at which point the sciatic nerve may become compressed by, for example, a protruding portion of a disc. The symptoms that this compression can cause include pain, burning, tingling, numbness, and muscle weakness in the lower back extremities. The presence of one or more of these symptoms is an indication that the sciatic nerve may be involved, but the presence of symptoms alone won't tell a doctor the precise, underlying cause of the nerve compression.

Conditions that Cause Sciatica

The lower back is flexible and bears much of the weight of the upper body. These two factors contribute a great deal to the wear and tear that eventually can produce the degenerative spine conditions that often give rise to sciatica. Back conditions that can compress the sciatic nerve include:

Only a doctor is equipped to make an accurate sciatica diagnosis. In most cases, conservative treatment methods such as pain medication, exercise, stretching, and corticosteroid injections are enough to manage the symptoms of sciatic nerve compression. However, if chronic symptoms persist after several weeks or months of conservative treatment, surgery might become an option.