National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Sciatica is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
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National Institutes of Health
Sciatica
Sciatica is a symptom of a problem with the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the body. It controls muscles in the back of your knee and lower leg and provides feeling to the back of your thigh, part of your lower leg, and the sole of your foot. When you have sciatica, you have pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling. It can start in the lower back and extend down your leg to your calf, foot, or even your toes. It's usually on only one side of your body.
Causes of sciatica include
- A ruptured intervertebral disk
- Narrowing of the spinal canal that puts pressure on the nerve, called spinal stenosis
- An injury such as a pelvic fracture.
In many cases no cause can be found.
Sometimes sciatica goes away on its own. Treatment, if needed, depends on the cause of the problem. It may include exercises, medicines, and surgery.
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Start Here
- JAMA Patient Page: Sciatica(American Medical Association)
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
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Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
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For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- CT of the Spine(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - Spine(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
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Treatment
- Epidural Injections(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Spinal Injections(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
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Specific Conditions
- Piriformis Syndrome(American Academy of Family Physicians)
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Piriformis Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
- Return to top
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Related Issues
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Tarlov Cysts(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
- Return to top
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Tarlov Cysts
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Health Check Tools
- Chronic Back Pain(DSHI Systems)
- Return to top
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Sciatica(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Sciatica
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Directories
- Find a Physical Therapist(American Physical Therapy Association)
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Organizations
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Patient Handouts
- MRI and low back pain
- Also available in Spanish
- Sciatica
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
Sciatica - Multiple Languages
