What Are the Risk Factors for Sciatica?

Back pain ranks as the third most common reason for patients to consult a healthcare professional around the world. Back pain can affect the lower or the upper back of individuals belonging to different age groups, particularly the elderly. Sciatica is a condition that causes a sensation of numbness and pain in the lower back, legs, and feet, due to compression or injury of the sciatic nerve. This condition is among the most common forms of back pain in patients across the country. Here are a few risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing sciatica.

1. An Old Injury

If you have previously experienced an injury in your lower back at any age, the risk of developing sciatica increase a few folds for you.

2. Ageing

As we progress in age, our spinal disks and bones tend to weaken. This is why displacement of the spinal disks and nerve compression can become very common after a certain age. This results in an increased risk of sciatica pain in the elderly.

3. Excess Weight

Maintaining a healthy body weight can be helpful to prevent a great many diseases at any age. Having an unhealthy weight can place excessive strain on your spine and back muscles. This can be the direct cause of many back problems, including sciatica.

4. Weak Core Muscles

The main source of support for your back lies within your back muscles. Stress or an injury can be the most common reason for weakening muscles in the upper and lower back. As weak muscles fail to provide sufficient support for the back, strains and other painful conditions are likely to develop.

5. Manual Work

If you have to lift heavy weights at work or at home regularly, you might be putting your lower back at the risk of developing sciatica. Jobs involving sitting in an office chair all day can also be harmful to your spinal health. If your job entails heavy lifting or prolonged sitting, visit a physiotherapy clinic regularly to prevent any back problems from developing in the future.

6. Wrong Exercising Methods

Weight lifting and other arduous exercises have to be done under the supervision of a trained professional. If you regularly lift weights in an incorrect posture, your nerves are at a high risk of sustaining an injury and developing sciatica.

7. History of Diseases

Certain pre-existing health conditions can increase the risk of developing sciatica. These include:

• Diabetes
• Osteoarthritis
• Herniated Disk

8. Smoking

Tobacco contains nicotine, which can be directly linked to weaker bones, muscles, and spinal tissues, increasing the risks for sciatica.

9. Pregnancy

The ligaments responsible for keeping the vertebrae intact tend to weaken due to certain hormones released during pregnancy. This might result in herniation of a disk and sciatica in many pregnant women.

5 Star Clinic has successfully treated patients with sciatica through holistic, all-natural treatments for over ten years and should be your first choice for sciatica treatment in Lancashire or Preston. Get in touch with us to book an appointment.