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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffRisk factors for sciatica include health problems, lifestyle choices and inherent qualities, such as age or race, that make it more likely you'll develop a particular condition. Major risk factors for sciatica include:
- Age. Age-related changes in the spine are a common cause of sciatica. You're likely to have some deterioration in the disks in your back by the time you're 40.
- Occupation. A job that requires you to twist your back, carry heavy loads or drive a motor vehicle for long periods makes you more prone to develop sciatica.
- Prolonged sitting. People who sit for prolonged periods or have a sedentary lifestyle are more likely to develop sciatica than active people are.
- Diabetes. This condition, which affects the way your body uses blood sugar, increases your risk of nerve damage.
References
- Lin M. Musculoskeletal back pain. In: Marx JA, et al., eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00051-7--s0045&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00051-7--s0060&uniq=184337872&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&sid=955285604. Accessed March 1, 2010.
- Rosenbaum RB, et al. Degenerative disease of the spine. In: Bradley WG. Neurology in Clinical Practice. 5th ed. Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7506-7525-3..50115-1--cesec38&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7506-7525-3..50115-1--cesec55&uniq=184337872&isbn=978-0-7506-7525-3&sid=955285604. Accessed March 1, 2010.
- Gregory DS, et al. Acute lumbar disk pain: Navigating evaluation and treatment choices. American Family Physician. 2008;78:835.
- Aminoff MJ. Mechanical and other lesions of the spine, nerve roots, and spinal cord. In: Goldman L, et al., eds. Goldman: Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/184337872-18/0/1492/1420.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50428-6--cesec37_17875. Accessed March 1, 2010.
- Devereaux M. Low back pain. Medical Clinics of North America. 2009;93:477.
- Low back pain fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/backpain/detail_backpain.htm#119483102. Accessed March 1, 2010.
- Wheeler SG, et al. Approach to the diagnosis and evaluation of low back pain in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 1, 2010.
- Knight CL, et al. Treatment of acute low back pain. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 1, 2010.
- Ernst E. Complementary treatments in rheumatic diseases. Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America. 2008;34:455.
- Chronic pain: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/chronic_pain/detail_chronic_pain.htm. Accessed March 1, 2010.
- Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 4, 2010.
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