The most common symptom of sciatica is pain. The pain can vary from mild to debilitating depending on the degree of pressure exerted on the sciatic nerve. Patients having sciatic nerve experience other symptoms such as:
Sciatica will be diagnosed by taking complete medical history, physical examination, assessment of neuromuscular function and diagnostic procedures such as X-ray, MRI, CT scan, CT scan with myelogram, electromyogram and nerve conduction tests.
Sciatica can be treated with conservative treatment approaches such as physical exercises, over the counter drugs, ice or hot packs, prescription medications, epidural steroid injections, massages and manual manipulation. In some cases, surgery may be recommended to treat the underlying condition causing sciatica and these conditions include herniated discs, lumbar spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis and degenerative disc disease.