Question

Which of the following causes sciatic nerve pain.
(a) Spondylitis
(b) Spinal Stenosis
(c) Arthritis in the spine
(d) Both B and C

Answer 1

Hint: Diseases caused due to inflammation in the joints of the spine or narrowing of the joint space that results in pressure on the nerves that supply to the spine.

Complete answer:
In spinal stenosis, space within the spine becomes narrow and this puts pressure on the nerves in the spine whereas, in spinal arthritis, joints between the spine undergo inflammation. This shows the effect on the nerves that travel into the spine resulting in severe pain. This pain may be seen in either the neck region or lower back region. The pain in the lower back region is mainly due to the pressure on the sciatic nerve resulting in sciatic nerve pain.

Additional Information:
- Depending on the type of Arthritis, it may be Arthritis of the back or neck and this may be idiopathic. Some of the risk factors of spinal arthritis are age, obesity, and pressure of certain conditions like psoriasis, gout, diabetes, etc.
- Symptoms of spinal arthritis include pain in the back and neck, especially in the lower back, swelling, tenderness, stiffness.
- Spinal stenosis is of two types: cervical stenosis and lumbar stenosis. In cervical stenosis, pain in the neck is seen and in lumbar stenosis pain in the lower back is seen. It is the most common type of spinal stenosis
- Symptoms include numbness, weakness, pain or cramping, back pain, etc.
- A rare type of arthritis that causes pain and stiffness in the spine is spondylitis. It mainly affects the joints in the neck and other parts of the body.

So, the correct answer is ‘both B and C’

Note: Spondylitis is also known as Bechterew disease and there is no cure for this disease. Management can be done by using medication and regular exercise. Spinal arthritis may also lead to spinal stenosis and ankylosing spondylitis.