Do young people have sciatica?

Not only is it common in the elderly, sciatica tends to be more common in young people. Sciatica in young people is mainly caused by causes such as heavy labor, injury, sitting - lying in the wrong position,...

The sciatic nerve (also known as the sciatic nerve, the sciatic nerve) is the largest and longest nerve in the human body, runs from the pelvis to the middle of the back thigh, continues down the knee, and then divides into 2 branch running down the foot. Sciatica (also known as sciatica) is a condition in which the nerve is compressed, causing chronic low back pain, then spreading down the leg along the path of the sciatic nerve. The disease may be accompanied by sensory disturbances, numbness or muscle atrophy.

Sciatica is common in people aged 30 - 50. However, it tends to be more common among young people. Causes of sciatica in young people include:
Sciatica caused by stage III syphilis, rheumatic heart disease, typhoid, gonorrhea, malaria (uncommon); Acute disc herniation after strenuous movements with incorrect posture of the spine (bent on lifting heavy objects with wrong posture or sudden movements of the body) causing acute low back pain; Occupational characteristics: Porter workers, circus artists, weightlifters, etc. often have to do heavy labor, exert a lot of impact on the back - hips; Spondylolisthesis: A vertebra that slips forward or backward on another vertebra due to birth or trauma; Ankylosing spondylitis: Progressing silently with symptoms of low back pain, hips and buttocks, morning stiffness of the spine, common in men under 40 years old; Spinal infections: Staphylococcal spondylitis, tuberculosis spondylitis,... causing sciatica pain; Trauma: Direct trauma to the sciatic nerve, pelvic fracture, lumbar spine fracture, buttock abscess surgery, injection directly into the sciatic nerve, or injection of petroleum jelly in the buttocks spreading to the nerve sutras,...; Tumor: Including primary tumor (vertebral tumor, myeloma, neuroma) and metastatic tumor (metastasis from prostate, lung, breast, kidney, gastrointestinal tract, multiple myeloma, lymphoma) ); Other causes: Lumbar spinal stenosis, representative joint hypertrophy, thick arachnoiditis in the lumbar region - sacrum, pregnant women,...

Mid back pain or one side, pain worse when bending over or coughing, sneezing; Pain that radiates from the back down, to one side of the buttocks, down the thigh, to the heel, or back from the heel to the back; Muscle atrophy on the painful side of the leg; Stiff spine, pain when leaning over; It is increasingly difficult to turn over, bend over.

Depending on the cause and severity of sciatica, the doctor will prescribe appropriate treatment. Some treatment options include:
Change in lifestyle: Get absolute rest if your sciatica is severe, stay in a hard bed (avoid hammock or rocking chair), avoid vigorous exercise or physical exertion. strong movements on the waist - hips such as running, turning suddenly, bending over; Physiotherapy: Mechanical impact to treat the disease by manipulating the spine, stretching the spine, acupressure, acupuncture using infrared rays, physical therapy, applying candle wax,...; Medication: Use pain relievers, muscle relaxants, sedatives, high doses of B vitamins or antibiotics in case of sciatica caused by infection; Surgical treatment: Surgery in some cases as prescribed by the doctor. Open surgery or laser surgery can be used.

Do not sit with arched back continuously for a long time; When you need to stand up, you should stand slowly so that the spine does not change position suddenly; You should exercise regularly to help keep joints flexible and strong. Yoga or swimming courses are very good for people whose job is to sit a lot or do heavy labor; Exercise to improve spine health: The exercise is performed as follows: Hold your hands tightly to the bar, keep your feet not touching the ground, release your lap for about 3 minutes; At work place: Should stand up and walk from time to time, put your hands on the edge of the table, lift your body for 2-3 minutes to exercise; Do not carry or carry heavy objects that are too heavy; Maintain a healthy, scientific diet, do not eat processed foods (high in fat and preservatives) but should eat fresh foods, vegetables, grains. At the same time, should drink a lot of filtered water and fruit juice every day to purify the body and strengthen the resistance. When seeing abnormal signs warning sciatic nerve pain in the body, the patient should go to the doctor immediately to detect the disease and treat it early, to avoid the risk of complications later.

Patients with sciatica can go to Vinmec International General Hospital for examination and treatment. Here, there is a team of well-trained, qualified and experienced neurologists in the examination and treatment of diseases related to the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system; with a system of modern equipment, meeting international standards for high efficiency in diagnosis and treatment.
For medical examination and treatment at Vinmec, please go directly to Vinmec medical system nationwide or register online HERE.