Sciatica Treatment

What Are the Causes and Treatment of Sciatic Nerve Pain (aka Sciatic Pain, or just “Sciatica”)?

admin — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:17:23 +0000

Because the sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, stretching from the lower back down the back of the legs into the feet, it creates a very large area of the body where sciatica-related symptoms can appear. So before discussing the treatment for sciatic nerve pain it’s important to understand a little about what causes sciatica.

Most of the time, sciatic nerve pain is caused simply by pressure on the sciatic nerve in the lower back area. The pressure can be from any of several very different causes. For example, it can sometimes be simply from a local injury. However, it is more often caused by other conditions, for example a herniated disc pressing on the nerve; or even by pregnancy — pregnancy can create changes in the body that trigger the pressure. Bony spurs can also be the cause; spurs from the spine itself can grow and put a great deal of pressure on the nerve. There are also some serious back problems, such as spondylolesthesis, that can trigger long-term sciatica.

The treatment for sciatic nerve pain starts with using an ice pack or cold compress every hour for roughly 10 to 15 minutes at a time, and the packs are placed on the lower back, even though the pain in all probability radiates down the back of the leg. This icing should be continued for the first 2 or 3 days, and is used to reduce the swelling, which in turn eases the sciatic pain and aids recovery.

Now of course, you should see your medical doctor, and he or she will determine whether it is necessary to have some x-rays taken or maybe a MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) so that the cause of the problem can be found. In the case of bony spurs, for example, surgery may be unnecessary, but this is usually only ever considered after icing and anti-inflammatories have been used and there has been no noticeable improvement in the pain level for several weeks.

In years gone by, rest and relaxation was what was recommended for sciatica, but these days, medical research and scientific tests have determined that in fact bed rest does very little to aid recovery. In fact, doctors now encourage movement and rest. Walking is recommended, but only a little at a time. For example, after resting for a few hours, walking for 3 to 5 minutes is suggested, provided this does not cause any pain in your legs. After another 3 hours rest, take another walk again for as long as you can without pain in your legs.

While icing and some stretching and body positioning can provide fairly quick relief from some sciatica, in many incidences the reduction in pain will be slow, so don’t expect a miraculous recovery.

As always, whenever in doubt you should consult your medical doctor, but by following the suggestions here, you should feel a lessening of the pain and a return to your normal life. If in doubt, see your medical doctor and discuss your options for the treatment of sciatic nerve pain.

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What are the Best Sciatica Exercises to help with my back and leg pain?

admin — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:08:43 +0000

First of all it is important to discover the cause of your sciatic pain before you start on a regimen of the best daily sciatica exercises, otherwise you risk irritating the sciatic nerve some more and causing yourself even more pain. This means a trip to see you medical doctor, some x-rays, and maybe an mri (magnetic resonance imaging), so that the problem can be properly diagnosed.

In the meantime, you should be icing the middle of your lower back, to reduce the swelling and your pain level. Icing, or a cold pack should be used for the first 3 days, icing for 10-15 minutes at a time, every hour or so.

Now it used to be thought that bed rest was the best cure for sciatic pain, but more recent medical research and scientific test have shown that in fact movement does indeed help recovery. Now the exercises recommended for sciatic pain do depend on the cause of the problem, so you should check with your doctor first. Many sciatic nerve pain patients have found that very short walks help, just for 3 minutes to begin with, after 3 hours of rest. This should help you to walk without pain in your legs, and you should gradually try to increase the length of your walks, assuming there is no leg pain. The walking should be done on level ground, ie no slopes or hills.

Some people find that lying on their stomach, with the head turned to one side, while the arms are by the side, and then relaxing is a beneficial exercise for them. This positron should be held for 1 to 2 minutes.

Pelvic tilts are also used to strengthen the back as it gently moves the spine while stretching the lower back. To do these, lie on your back on a firm surface with your knees bent, and your feet firmly on the floor. Put your arms by your side. Then slowly tighten your stomach muscles, and press your lower back into the floors. hold this position for 10 seconds, but do not hold your breath, and then slowly relax.

If these exercises cause you significant pain then stop them immediately and see a medical professional. These exercises are done gently to help the back maintain its strength. After the first day or two of rest, the back will soon lose its conditioning and become weak and easily strained unless some gentle exercises are done to help it keep its strength.

Your doctor may suggest that you visit a physical therapist, or a chiropractor so they can help you with the best sciatica exercises to reduce your sciatic pain more quickly – it is certainly something you should consider.

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What are the most effective steps to take to gain fast sciatica relief?

admin — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:02:19 +0000

The symptoms of sciatica pain are very specific, with pain radiating in the lower back and down one leg to the foot, so you will often be able to achieve some sciatica relief by using an ice pack, or a cold pack. As soon as you are aware of the sciatic pain, use the ice or cold pack on the lower back, for 10 to 15 minutes every hour or so. The treatment of cold application will help to reduce the swelling around the sciatic nerve, while it will reduce your pain too. When your body gets this relief, it will then be able to start healing itself.

Now not everyone can stand putting an ice pack on their lower back, but it really does help many cases of inflammation. So, keep trying to use the pack, as this is the fastest way for you to recover.

Anti-inflammatories can be used too, such as ibuprofen, as these will also help to reduce the inflammation. Make sure you follow the directions carefully, as anti-inflammatories can cause stomach problems if you are not careful.

Of course, you must see your own doctor or physician as soon as possible, especially if the pain level is not subsiding after a few days of the ice treatment. They will decide on any further treatment, once they know what is causing the pressure on the sciatic nerve. It could be due to pregnancy, or a herniated disc, and if the pressure is due to bone spurs it may be possible to remove them with surgery. However, many doctors are reluctant to perform back surgery because of the risks involved.

Although bed rest sounds good, it is important to keep moving, and medical and scientific studies have not actually shown any real benefit from total bed rest that used to be the sciatica treatment.

Instead, short walks are encouraged, starting with just 2-3 minutes if you can walk for that long without much pain. You should try to walk every two – three hours, and gradually increase the distance you go, provided you can walk this without pain in your legs.

It is necessary of course to eat a healthy diet, and to maintain your weight in a range that is recommended by your doctor. Increased weight will only increase your pain, so do try to stay at a healthy weight, and lose weight if you are not there yet. Of course having an attack of sciatica will probably not lead to a reduction in your weight, since you will be moving only short distances to begin with, and therefore be much less active than you normally are.

Because of the amount of pain during a flare up of sciatica pain, you are probably going to have to take some time off work, just so that you can keep up with the icing and cold packs to reduce the swelling, but by following the recommended sciatica relief programs, you should be able to get back on your feet again soon.

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Sciatica Symptoms (Sciatic nerve symptoms) – are easily misunderstood

admin — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:09:56 +0000

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body; any inflammation or irritation of this nerve creates discomfort which can be mild or excruciating, in any of a variety of places in the body. This pain, which is the symptom of the inflammation is actually Sciatica i.e. it’s the symptom, not the cause.

Because the nerve is so long, it is not surprising that any inflammation of this nerve can causes extensive pain over a very large area of the body. The sciatic nerve stretches from the spinal cord to the buttock and hips, and then it continues down the back of both legs. Now sciatica itself isn’t a problem, it is when something affects this nerve that sciatic pain is caused. For example, if a disc presses on the sciatic nerve, it causes sciatic pain, or sciatica as it is more often called.

Sciatica can be caused by a herniated disc pressing on the sciatic nerve causing pain which feels like it is in the lower back, in the buttock, and often continues down the leg and into the foot. Because the pain is over such a large area, it can be very debilitating. Sciatica symptoms are often described as a dull pain, or a burning, tingly or numb feeling, and it can be continuous or intermittent. Usually it only affects one side of the body, for which people are very thankful, but you can see from its symptoms that it affects different people different ways.

One of the most common questions by anyone suffering from this terrible condition is, how long does sciatica last? Unfortunately, there is no one answer because it depends on the cause. A short-term cause of inflammation that is relieved by ice can produce almost immediate pain relief. Whereas some serious back conditions – spondylolesthesis, for example – create a problem that can cause life-long sciatica unless the sufferer undergoes successful surgery.

Now, once you know that what you are feeling is sciatic pain, what can you do about it? In the past, bed rest has been ordered, but more recently a Dutch study has found that bed rest in fact gives no more relief than moving around, and in fact staying active may even be more beneficial. In this case active means not lying in bed all day, but moving around and being mobile for periods in the day, while not doing enough to make the aggravation worse. There are some physicians who recommend specific exercises for sciatica pain, while others suggest that walking is enough.

The sciatica pain is sometimes enough for the sufferer to need to take time off from work, and as some of the treatments recommend cold compresses at regular intervals during the day, especially the first 48 hours, this is easier to achieve at home than in an office. Ibuprofen is recommended as an anti-inflammatory for sciatic pain, although in acute cases codeine may have to be used. For some cases, cortisone is injected into the space around the spinal column as this has been found to bring some relief. However, this is not a permanent cure, and does not address the cause of the problem.

If bone is pressing onto the sciatic nerve, then surgery can remove that pressure by removing that bone, but this is not a common procedure. However, if there has been no improvement in the level of sciatica pain after four to six weeks, then this may be considered.
Of course, if you think you have sciatica symptoms, visit your doctor for confirmation, and find out from an expert what you need to do to alleviate your sciatica symptoms.

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What sciatica treatment will ease sciatica pain most quickly and effectively?

admin — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:02:05 +0000

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The sciatica symptoms of lower back pain, and pain down the back of usually just one leg can be very painful, so the sciatica treatment of ice applied to the lower back is important to reduce the inflammation as soon as possible. The ice is generally applied for 10 to 15minutes, every hour. If this coldness is applied to the lower back for the first 3 days, it will limit the amount of swelling while it reduces pain, and helps to speed the healing process.

There are a few other things to do too. You should avoid sitting if at all possible, unless you find that the sitting position is more comfortable than standing. Try to alternate lying down with short walks, gradually increasing the distance that you are able to cover without sciatic pain. The walks should start off taking about 3 to 5 minutes, and you should try to do this every 3 hours, but the important point is to only walk the distance that you can manage without pain, especially leg pain.

Now you will probably want to see your doctor or physician about your sciatica pain, and they may prescribe anti-inflammatories to help reduce the level of pain. Make sure you tell your doctor if these types of medication cause you stomach problems, or allergies.

If this is your first attack of sciatica pain, then your doctor may order x-rays, and maybe an mri to find out what is going on to cause pressure on the sciatic nerve, and so cause sciatica pain from your lower back to you foot.

When this has been done, you will need to be patient and wait for nature and time to do its healing. You cannot expect to be healed over night, although that would be rather good! In the meantime, keep eating a healthy diet, and stay at the weight that is best for you.

Being overweight will only add to your discomfort during a sciatica attack, so if you are overweight, try to reduce this, although it can be even more challenging when you are unable to walk very far without pain, never mind exercise to lose weight.

Other than those tips mentioned above, rest is important, but so are the short walks. There have been some scientific studies conducted that show that total bed rest is of no added benefit to a sciatica patient, and movement does in fact help a little more than rest. So, when your next sciatica pain strikes, think of the sciatica treatment mentioned above, and get out the ice packs and the cold packs, and use them often during the first two or three days.

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