Causes
The most common cause of Sciatica is a
herniated disc. This occurs when the
disc that act as cushions in the
vertebrae are ruptured and push into the
spinal canal and put pressure in the
sciatic nerve.. This can
be caused by many reasons such as
degenerative disc disease, or trauma
caused by an accident or sports injury.
One of the most common reasons is by lifting
and twisting at the same time. Many
people complain that they have ‘just
woken up with it’ this usually because
the injury can take several days to show
its symptoms.
Sciatica can also occur during pregnancy
when the sciatic nerve is pinched
between the head of the fetus and the
pelvic wall.
Whatever the reason it is important to
make an appointment with your medical
advisor who will probably arrange for
you to have an MRI so the exact
cause of your problem can be diagnosed,
and the correct course of treatment be
administered.
Diagnosis
An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Scan
is a safe and painless test that can
provide detailed pictures of your spine.
It also shows the softer parts of the
spine too such as ligaments and
surrounding tissues, and what is causing
the compression to your sciatic nerve.
Once the scan is completed, the
radiologist will interpret your
examination, and send a report to your
medical advisor who can then recommend
the best course of treatment for you.
Non Surgical Treatments
The initial treatment for sciatic nerve
pain will be pain relief which usually
comes in the form of over the counter
medication such as ibuprofen or
naproxen. In fact it is probably likely
that you have been taking these from the
outset of your pain.
Although these medications do offer
considerable pain relief, as they reduce
the inflammation of the nerves and
muscles, they do come with some side
effects if taken over long periods of
time. These side effects include stomach
ulcers, and in stronger medications
addiction.
A far better option for pain relief
would be a totally natural product, that
offers a high level of pain relief, with
absolutely no side effects whatsoever,
such as the excellent
Back Relief Elite
Pain Remedy. This product has helped
thousand of sufferers worldwide, and
many get almost instant relief after
years of suffering. To read more about
this amazing product and read some and
listen to the testimonials you can visit
their website by following the link
below.
Up to recent years it was always thought
that bed rest was the best treatment for
sciatica and sciatic nerve pain. However
this advice is no longer recommended, in
fact the very best advisers recommend
you keep active, as best as you possibly
can.
You should start an exercise program, of
which combines non impact aerobic
conditioning, such as a stationery bike,
or swimming and combine this with a
lower back strength training and
stretching program, which strengthen the
muscles that support the spine.
Sciatic nerve pain and back pain in
general always responds quickly to a
lower back pain exercise program. In
fact exercises and stretches are
becoming the number one choice for the
initial and ongoing relief from back
pain. However, it should be noted that
not all exercise is good for sciatic
nerve pain. In fact it is possible that
you could do more harm than good if the
incorrect exercises are chosen or the
exercises are not performed correctly.
If you are unsure, always consult a
professional physical trainer who has
knowledge of rehabilitation or back
injury, or alternately a physical
therapist that is up to date with
current back relief techniques.
Surgical Treatments
In the unlikely event that your sciatic
nerve pain has not responded to the
exercises and stretches, it is possible
that your medical adviser will discuss
with you the surgical options available
but surgery is only generally
recommended in very severe cases of
sciatica, and when all else has failed.
It is also important for you to know
that success rate of people who are
‘100% cured’ is about 35%. The long term
benefits of surgery for sciatica are no
greater than those offered by a regular
exercise and strength training program.
The surgical procedures for sciatic
nerve pain are a microdiscectomy or
lumbar laminectomy and discectomy. All
of these processes involve cutting away
disc tissue or removing bone portions to
make room for the compressed nerve.
In summary the long term management of
sciatica and sciatic nerve pain and will
involve lifestyle changes, which will
include a weekly exercise program to
strengthen the core muscles that support
your back, and may include long term
medication, and in rare instances
surgery
Once you have discovered the best
treatment option, and what works for you
there is no reason that you will not be
able to continue your normal lifestyle
and keep sciatic nerve pain under
control once and for all.
