The key difference between lumbago and sciatica is that lumbago is a condition that causes pain in the lower portion of the back due to muscle strain while sciatica is a condition that causes pain in the legs due to an abnormality of the sciatic nerve.
Lumbago and sciatica are two medical conditions characterized by pain in different parts of the body. Both these conditions can occur together. However, lumbago and sciatica are two different conditions with different etiologies.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Lumbago
3. What is Sciatica
4. Similarities – Lumbago and Sciatica
5. Lumbago vs. Sciatica in Tabular Form
6. FAQ – Lumbago and Sciatica
7. Summary – Lumbago vs. Sciatica
What is Lumbago?
Lumbago refers to lower back pain. Lumbago can be caused by muscle strain, ligament injury, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, sciatica, spinal stenosis, herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, tumors near the spine, fibromyalgia, spondylosis, osteomyelitis, broken bone near the spinal region, and sprain. Moreover, the symptoms of this condition may include chronic pain in the lumbar region, soreness in the back, pain or tingling sensation down one or both legs, muscle spasms, weakness in one or both legs and stiffness or muscle tension in the lumbar region. The risk factors for this condition are poor posture, older age, obesity, lack of exercise, heavy lifting, smoking, kidney or bladder problems, and pregnancy.
Figure 01: Lumbago
Lumbago can be diagnosed through CT scan, discography, electromyography, nerve conduction studies, MRI, myelogram, selective nerve root block, and X-ray. Furthermore, lumbago can be treated through chiropractic care, physical therapy, pain relievers, nerve block injections, facet joint injections, epidural steroid injections, botulinum toxin A, acupuncture, massage therapy, and surgery.
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica refers to pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling in the legs. The compression of the sciatic nerve causes sciatica. This compression can be caused by slipped or herniated discs, spinal stenosis, piriformis syndrome, pelvic injury or fracture, tumors, and spondylolisthesis. Moreover, the symptoms of this condition may include a mild ache to a sharp, burning pain, which follows a path from the lower back to the buttock and the back of the thigh and calf, sometimes a jolt or electric shock-like pain, worsening pain when coughing or sneezing or sitting for a long time and numbness, tingling or muscle weakness in the leg or foot. The risk factors for sciatica are age-related changes in the spine, obesity, a job that requires twisting the back, carrying heavy loads or driving a motor vehicle for long periods, prolonged sitting, and diabetes.
Figure 02: Sciatica
Sciatica can be diagnosed through physical examination, X-ray, MRI, CT scan, electromyography, and blood test. Furthermore, treatment options for sciatica are anti-inflammatory medications, corticosteroids, antidepressants, antiseizure medications and opioids, physical therapy, steroid injections, surgery, lifestyle and home remedies (cold packs, hot packs, and stretching), acupuncture, and chiropractic.
What are the Similarities Between Lumbago and Sciatica?
- Lumbago and sciatica are two medical conditions characterized by pain in different parts of the body.
- Sciatica can cause lumbago.
- Both these conditions can occur together.
- Both these conditions can be diagnosed through physical examination and imaging testing.
- They can be treated through medications, therapies, and alternative medicinal practices like acupuncture and chiropractic.
What is the Difference Between Lumbago and Sciatica?
Lumbago is a condition that causes pain in the lower portion of the back due to muscle strain, while sciatica is a condition that causes pain in the legs due to an abnormality of the sciatic nerve. This is the key difference between lumbago and sciatica. Furthermore, the risk factors for lumbago are poor posture, older age, obesity, lack of exercise, heavy lifting, smoking, kidney or bladder problems, and pregnancy. On the other hand, the risk factors for sciatica are age-related changes in the spine, obesity, a job that requires twisting the back, carrying heavy loads or driving a motor vehicle for long periods, prolonged sitting, and diabetes.
The infographic below presents the differences between lumbago and sciatica in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
FAQ: Lumbago vs. Sciatica
Does lumbago cause sciatica?
Spinal stenosis has the potential to cause sciatica along with lumbago.
How do you know if you have lumbago?
Lumbago is characterized by mild to severe lower back pain mostly near the spine.
What is the fastest way to cure sciatica?
Hot and cold packs for quick sciatic pain relief are the fastest way to cure sciatica.
Summary – Lumbago vs. Sciatica
Lumbago and sciatica are two associated medical conditions. This is because sciatica can trigger lumbago. Both these conditions are characterized by pain in different parts of the body and are often hard to distinguish from one another. However, lumbago causes pain in the lower portion of the back due to muscle strain, while sciatica causes pain in the leg due to an abnormality of the sciatic nerve. This summarizes the difference between lumbago and sciatica.
Reference:
1. “Lumbago: Mild to Severe Low Back Pain.” Health Central.
2. “Sciatica: Putting Pain and Other Symptoms behind You.” Cleveland Clinic.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Lumbago-iskias” By Injurymap – InjuryMap – Free Human Anatomy Images and Pictures. (CC BY 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Sciatica” By BruceBlaus – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia