It is pain caused by the sciatic nerve that carries messages from the brain down the spinal cord to the legs. Sciatica is when the sciatic nerve, which runs from your hips to your feet, is irritated. The pain is typically felt from the low back (lumbar area) to behind the thigh and can radiate down below the knee. The most common cause is a bulging (“herniated”) disc in the lower back. These discs are tire-like structures that sit between the bones of the spine. Increase pressure in the disc space can worsen sciatica.
Sciatica is said to be a less common cause of low back pain. Usually it is self-diagnosable. Lab tests or imaging are rarely required and it resolves within days to week. According to health.harvard.edu 5% to 10% of people who have surgery will not be helped by it, or may have worse pain afterwards.
Symptoms
How do you know sciatica is what is affecting you? Ideally, there should be a diagnosis. But the symptoms of sciatica are often worse with sitting or coughing, and may be accompanied by numbness or tingling in the leg. Usually, there is weakness in the legs that suggest that someone needs early referral to a specialist especially if symptoms don’t improve. That’s when surgery or an injection is advised to speed things up.
4 Ways To Treat Sciatica:
Be Active: you can control the pain by being as active as possible. If the pain is excruciating, lying down for short periods. Once the pain diminishes, get up and start walking short distances.
Avoid prolonged sitting or driving: prolonged bed rest does not help. Sitting increases pressure on the discs in the lower back. Many people try treatments like physical therapy, massage, acupuncture, and chiropractic manipulation, but evidence suggests that while these approaches may help typical low back pain, they are less helpful for sciatica.
Over-the-counter pain medicines like ibuprofen and naproxen can be used. But in situation they don’t, get to the hospital. There may be short-term use of stronger, prescription pain medicines.
Surgery: In Severe situation, it’s worth seeing primary care doctor especially if not improving after six weeks, surgery is an option. It is possible that the symptoms of sciatica to completely disappear without external help such as surgery or injections?
For Sciatica, hurt doesn’t mean harm, and that treatments are geared to managing pain and keeping them active while the body fixes itself. Visit www.theboxshowafrica.com
