Features

• While sciatica can be extremely annoying, it is not life threatening. This condition tends to run in families. It is often called a "pinched nerve," since the nerve endings at the end of the spine are being compressed. This is what causes the hip pain when walking or bending. The pain felt in the hip is often a very sharp pain.
  
  

Treatment

• Two treatment options are available for sciatica: conservative and operative. A conservative choice is always tried first. This consists of rest, ibuprofen to reduce inflammation and ice packs alternating with heat.
  
  The surgical method consists of lumbar microdiscetomy. This procedure involves the total removal of the bulging disc that is compressing the nerve endings and causing the pain.
  
  

Significance

• Sciatica with hip pain is a common condition and normally affects people ages 30 to 50.
  
  

Considerations

• It is important to stop the activities that caused the sciatica in the first place. Continuing will only make the condition worse and could lead to more serious damage to the disc and nerve endings.
  
  

Warning

• If pain in the hip does not subside after several days of home care, a physician should be contacted to rule out a more complicated condition.