Up to 40% of people experience sciatica at some point in their life. The condition can affect anyone at any age except young ones. The pain caused by the sciatic nerve can be debilitating, affecting your quality of life. You may be unable to sleep or do the activities you love. You can regain control of your life within 6 to 12 weeks with proper treatment. If you have been experiencing this pain, read on to understand what causes it and how you can get pain relief.
Sciatica is pain, numbness, irritation, and tingling sensation caused by an injury or compression of the sciatic nerve. The pain can originate from the buttock area and can be mild to severe and disabling. Sciatica pain can also be irritating and infrequent and worsens with age. Sciatica is not a disease or medical condition but a symptom of a medical problem involving the sciatic nerve.
The sciatic nerve is the longest and widest nerve in the human body. The nerves originate from the lower back through each gluteal (buttocks) and then radiate down the legs, ending below the knee.
Typically, the pain only affects one side of the lower body, extending from the thigh and back, through the thigh, and down your leg. Sometimes the pain can spread to the toes or foot. The sciatic nerve controls several muscles in the lower legs, supplying sensation to most of the lower leg and the foot’s skin.
Common symptoms include:
Sciatic pain is caused by an underlying issue. Various spinal disorders cause sciatica nerve compression, including:
Other causes include:
You should seek urgent medical assistance if you have:
Obesity: Excess weight puts too much pressure on the spine and compresses the sciatic nerve causing inflammation and pain.
Diabetes: The disease increases your chance of nerve damage, significantly increasing the risk of sciatica.
Smoking: It deteriorates the discs in your spine over time which may result in nerve damage, increasing the chance of sciatica.
Poor back posture: The path of the sciatic nerve is affected by how we sit, walk or stand.
Physically demanding work or work-related injuries. Repetitive motions like lifting heavy objects, walking or standing for too long, and driving for long periods, put pressure on the spine, irritating the sciatic nerve.
Aging: As we age, the body loses flexibility putting our nerves at risk of injuries or pinching due to changes in spine alignment.
History of low back pain: Low back pain causes inflammation in the lumbar region and spine. This can spread to the sciatic nerve.
Sleeping problems: Poor sleeping habits can be caused by chronic illness or general health. It can lead to back pain which also causes sciatic pain.
Poor health: Wellness improves health. A poor diet and lack of exercise increase the chances of developing sciatic pain.
Psychological distress: Stress can cause the brain to deprive the sciatic nerve of oxygen, leading to leg pain, tingling sensation, and weakness.
Injury: An injury on the hip or buttocks can cause sciatic pain.
During your diagnosis, your doctor will take your medical history and get to know your symptoms. They will also do a physical examination, like asking you to walk on your toes or your heels, stand from a squatting position, lift your legs, or perform stretches and various motions.
For severe cases and further diagnosis, your doctor may order other tests such as;
Sciatica treatment involves a combination of self-care measures, medication, or surgery (last resort). Treatment options include:
Acupuncture: This involves inserting hair-thin needles into the skin at specific parts of your body. Acupuncture can help manage sciatica symptoms by relaxing tight muscles, and releasing neurotransmitters that help reduce pain, improve blood circulation and regulate nervous symptoms.
Chiropractic care: Whenever possible, it is always a good idea to opt for a more conservative, non-invasive treatment. Chiropractic care can offer you that the purpose of chiropractic treatment is to help the body heal itself without surgery or medication. Chiropractic care will aim to realign the spine and take the pressure off the sciatic nerve for immediate pain relief. Your body will then begin to heal itself once the pressure is removed.
Treatment may also combine several methods such as cold therapies, ultrasound, TENs, physical therapy, and spinal adjustments.
Surgery is recommended if your sciatic pain lasts for more than three months and does not respond to other treatments. The type of surgery depends on the cause of your sciatica pain. To remove fragments of a herniated disc compressing the nerve, you may need to undergo a microdiscectomy. Your doctor may also recommend a lumbar laminectomy to widen the spinal cord and reduce pressure on the nerves in the lower back.
If you have been suffering from sciatica seeking professional treatment for pain relief is essential. For more information, please contact Better Health Solutions, your Scottsdale chiropractor.
8040 E Indian School Rd Suite 100,
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
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