Most of the low back pain is caused by inflammation of the soft tissue strain, and since the pain is connected with the tissue, it will be radiated from the waist to the kidneys and thighs that is easily misunderstood as sciatica. With rest, medication and physiotherapy or spinal manipulation, “false alarm sciatica will soon recover.

The sciatic nerve supplies the sensory and motor function of the foot and thigh. Most sciatica is caused by the rupture of the intervertebral disc leading to the compression of the nerve line. The pain will then extend to the foot, and the degree of pain is more serious than the general low back pain. Sustained stress causes impaired nerve function and foot paralysis and movement disorders, whereas long-term compression can damage the nerve line permanently .

If a large number of fragments are detached, the entire central nerve is compressed, and the function of the urine and the trunk is impaired; this is called cauda equina syndrome. Immediate diagnosis is necessary to decompress as soon as possible, otherwise it is difficult to recover after the nerve line of the bowel function is damaged.

Thus, before sciatica gets worse and damags the nerve line, MRI should be used to confirm the diagnosis and surgically remove the broken tissue fragments. Now, minimally invasive surgery is safe and quick, and patients can get out of bed after two days. On the contrary, if the nerve line is damaged due to delay, the function is difficult to recover.