Who Are At The Risk Of Sciatica?

There are people who are more at the risk of sciatica than the others. The reason may simply be there lifestyle but there may be other factors involved like the following:

The middle age: Getting old is not easy. There are many problems that come along with the old age. The reason is simple that during old age the body starts to degenerate and lose its ability to fight against abnormalities. The causes that can lead to sciatica in this age are slip disc, spinal stenosis and in some cases bone spurs.

It is seen that the spinal discs start degenerating at the age of 30 and therefore the risk of sciatica also starts at this age. The problem of spinal stenosis comes into light after 50 years of age so sciatica due to this reason usually occurs after 50 years only. The case of spinal arthritis such as bone spurs is also cited as the cause of sciatica. All in all, it's the people in between the age of 30-50 who are more at the risk of developing sciatica. Life is most active at this stage with respect to work, social involvement, sports and the like. So, it is clear that this group is most likely to get an injury or a disease than any other group. It is a proven fact that at this age the discs are also more vulnerable than any other phase of life.

A sedentary lifestyle: It's not only the middle age. Even the people who have a sedentary lifestyle have a risk of sciatica. Here, the people who drive for too long, the people who work on a computer for long hours are included. Same posture for too long too applies a lot of unnecessary pressure on the sciatic nerve.

Walkers and runners: The activities like walking and running also put you at a risk of developing sciatica. The sportspersons go through a lot of physical exertion and during these activities a muscle in the hip called the piriformis gets contracted. This muscle has a major function in walking and running. When this muscle becomes tight, it tends to irritate the sciatic nerve which is placed right under it and this is the result of extensive walking and running.

Others at risk: other than those mentioned above there are others at the risk of developing sciatica. They are the pregnant women and the diabetics. A person with diabetes is vulnerable to nerve damage and hence sciatica. A woman undergoes a lot of hormonal changes during pregnancy and this increases her risk of getting sciatica.

If you fall in any of this category, you must take precautions to avoid developing sciatica.

Learn more about the risks of sciatica - click here