Sciatica In The Elderly

Old age brings along a myriad of problems. As we age, the joints and the muscles become weak, this is one reason why the elderly feel backaches of several kinds and sciatica is one of them. The sciatic nerve is the longest and the widest nerve in the human body. It originates in the spine and moves through the buttocks, down the legs. This nerve may sometimes get compressed due to some abnormality happening in the spinal area. The compressed nerve causes symptoms of sciatica like chronic pain in the lower back and the legs. It gets so much severe at times that it leaves the bearer immobile. The elderly easily fall prey to this problem due to their low immunity, weak bones and muscles.

The causes of sciatica in the elderly are not any different from the causes in the younger ones. Particularly in old age, it is the injury in and around the spine that causes the symptoms of sciatica. It is a common observation that in old age, people go through disc degeneration due to weak bones and it is one of the major causes of sciatica, whatsoever the age. There are other causes like spinal osteoarthritis, scoliosis, degenerative spondylolisthesis and osteoporosis which concern old age. At an initial stage, these diseases may not cause severe pain but may become unbearable in the advanced forms.

The fear of immortality and ravages of age may also cause sciatica in the elderly. This type of sciatica is called the psychosomatic sciatica. The patient feels the pain even without the existence of any cause. The psychosomatic symptoms are proven to be real and if this mind body discomfort is not treated, the patient may develop serious sciatica symptoms. The anatomy of human body gets disturbed due to incompatibility between the body and the mind.

Therefore, it is very important to maintain proper health at every stage of life to prevent problems like sciatica. It is a clear fundamental that if you lead a healthy life, your body would be resilient to diseases. You would have to pay for unhealthy lifestyle like smoking, overeating and a poor diet in the long run. Once age catches up, it is better to stay in direct touch with the doctor and monitor your health status regularly. Even minor pains must not be taken lightly. Ignored back pain can prove dangerous later. Once the sciatic pain begins, chances are less that you would get a treatment without the surgical risk involved, your functionality becomes poor and even the drugs don't seem to work.   

Whatsoever is the age, sciatica can be managed with mutual cooperation between the health service providers and the patient.

Learn how to manage sciatica regardless of age - click here