Monday, January 19, 2009

What You Can Do About Sciatica

Sciatica is a condition in which one tends to experience pain in their lower back region and the surrounding areas such as buttocks, legs, feet etc. This condition is mainly caused due to compression and irritation caused in the sciatic nerve, or the nerve roots that combine together to generate the sciatic nerve. In addition to the severe pain, one also experiences weakness in the muscles, sense of numbness, or problems in movement and control of the legs. Generally, only one of the sides of the body gets affected.





Causes


The compression of the lumbar nerves present in the human body is one of the causes of Sciatica. Along with lumbar nerves, the sacral nerves also may play a part. As already stated, compression of the sciatic nerve itself is one of the root causes.





Risk Factors Associated With Sciatica


The risk factors that are commonly associated with sciatica are problems in ones health, choice in lifestyle, and factors affecting the innate qualities, like, race, age etc.





Diabetic Condition: Diabetes is the condition in which the levels of sugar in the human body tend to exceed their norm and hence makes a person more prone to a damage of the nervous system.


Age: As one grows older, there are changes in the spinal region in a person's body. These changes are one of the most common causes of the sciatic condition. The disks present in the spinal chord tend to deteriorate with time and as one approach the age of thirty, this is most common.


Lifestyle-related changes: A good example of this would be sitting in one position for long hours, for relaxing one's body. Sitting in one position mustn't be prolonged, for, this makes a person more na?ve to sciatica than those who are comparatively active in their day to day chores.


Occupation: If one is occupied in a job which demands them to frequently carry heavier weights, twist their backs, or be on the move for long durations of time, such people are more prone to sciatic condition.





Most cases of sciatica can be treated by one or more of the following:


? Acupuncture


? Physical therapy


? Anti-inflammatory medications (for example NSAIDs or oral steroids)


? Osteopathy


? Pain medication (for example acetaminophen)


? Surgery: Surgical options such as lumbar laminectomy and microdiskectomy are considered as good options by many. The difference between the rates of success of diskectomy and microdiskectomy is almost miniscule, but one tends to experience lesser pain and fast recovery with microdiskectomy.


? Structural integration


? Yoga


? Chiropractic


? Stretching exercises


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sciatic nerve treatment: sciatic pain relief

sciatic nerve treatment: sciatic nerve treatment

Article Source: www.articlesnatch.com

How To Relieve Sciatic Nerve Pain

It is the nerve that starts at the buttocks and runs down the back of the leg. It is a combination of multiple spinal nerves and is about an inch long in the buttocks. Generally, when people start complaining about pain in the sciatic nerve, it's not the sciatic nerve that created this pain, instead, it's a problem of the nerve being pinched when it leaves the spine.





Reasons for sciatic nerve pain





There are various causes that lead to sciatic nerve pain, but the major reasons that can lead to this type of pain are:


1. Excessive pressure on the sciatic nerve: Sciatic nerve pain can be a result of unwanted pressure put on the body due to improper posture, strain in the muscles, pregnancy, overweight, using a very soft mattress for sleeping purpose. It can also have excessive pressure on the sciatic nerve due to slip disc. Some cases of sciatic nerve pain have been recorded by due to the compression of the sciatic nerve by a tumor encircling the spinal cord in the lower back.


2. Degenerative arthritis: It is also a common cause of sciatica. Degenerative arthritis also known as Osteoarthritis can be identified by certain specific characteristics like creation of bone spurs or a set of protruding bone which presses on the nerve roots. Older people sometimes may develop a medical condition called spinal stenosis, where the nerve is compressed due to narrowing of space in and around the spinal cord.





Sciatica's symptoms and complications


The most important symptom of sciatica is that a pain in that runs down from the buttocks and unto the back of the leg and thighs. It not necessary that the pain stops there it may even continue down to the foot or can below the knee. The pain that one feels due sciatica has a variation nature: it can be sharp or dull, burning or shooting sensation, non-stop or may come in intervals. One of its properties is that the pain is felt on only one part of the body. Some complain about a acute or intense pain others complain about numbness or weakening in parts of the leg where it hurts the most. This can sometimes lead to serious neurological problems.





Treatment and prevention


This can be cured by treating the cause that lead to sciatica such as slip disc. Doctor's can prescribe painkillers, muscles relaxants, corticosteroids to reduce inflammation. Average amount of exercise should be considered if pain becomes minimal. Therapy sessions are advised to strengthen abdominal and back muscles once the symptoms have minimized.


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sciatic nerve treatment: sciatic pain relief

sciatic nerve treatment: sciatic pain relief

Article Source: www.articlesnatch.com