5 Things To Know If You're Experiencing Pain Or Numbness In Your Buttcheeks

From womenshealthmag.com

Ever sat on a chair or the toilet for a while and felt your whole leg go numb?
Then you have some indication of what people with sciatica are dealing with—only in the case of sciatica patients, the tingly, painful feeling in their butt or leg is unlikely to go away after they’ve walked away from their seat. Those who deal with sciatica on an acute or persistent basis are in good company: Sciatica nerve pain is thought to affect as many as 40 percent of people at some point in their lives, according to data from Harvard Medical School.
Even though sciatica is incredibly common, it’s also very misunderstood. There are a lot of misconceptions about sciatica, which range from what it is in the first place to exactly how it affects the body and whether or not it can be treated. “It almost goes without fail—people don’t realize that sciatica is a symptom,” says Rolland Nemirovsky, a chiropractic sports physician at Manhattan Sports Therapy. Instead, most people believe it’s a medical condition unto itself.
In reality, sciatica is a symptom of a number of different potential conditions. (More on that below.) It consists of pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve, which starts in the lower back and runs down through both legs into the buttock, thigh, calf, and foot. “When the nerve gets irritated or hurt, it can produce any number of symptoms,” says Keith Overland, a chiropractor and spokesperson for the American Chiropractic Association. “Those symptoms are what’s called sciatica. So when you have pain radiating down your leg from your back, it’s caused by something else. It’s not an inherent injury all by itself.”

So let’s clear a few things up. Whether you’ve been dealing with sciatica for a while or you’re just learning about it, here are five things you may not know about that pain in your butt:

1

Sciatica nerve pain can occur in many places

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, says Nemirovsky, and pain can occur anywhere along it. This helps explain why sciatica can have such potentially far-reaching effects.
“What makes [sciatica] confusing is… it can be in the lower back only, radiating out just a couple of inches. It can radiate into the buttock and stop. It can go down to the knee and stop. It can go into the calf and stop. Or it can go all the way into the foot,” says Overland.

2

Sciatica can manifest in a wide variety of ways

Not only can sciatica crop up in a wide range of body parts, but it can also present as different sensations. “It can cause numbness for some people, muscular weakness for some people, and it causes pain for most people,” says Overland. “It’s almost one of those catch-all terms.”
No matter how it manifests, there’s no question sciatica can interfere with your daily life. “When you have sciatic symptoms… it could feel very debilitating,” says Nemirovsky. “It can affect how you feel, how you sleep, and your mood.”

3

Anyone can experience sciatica

“I have patients who are… out of shape and have these symptoms; I have patients who are IronMan and IronWoman athletes and they have these symptoms,” says Nemirovsky. “A lot of times it can just happen to anybody.”
Overland concurs. “[It’s a] myth that sciatica has to come from a trauma like an accident or herniated disc,” he says. “I have patients who come in with sciatica just because they’re not sitting properly at their desk for eight hours or their car seat is in an improper position.” Sciatica can also arise because of an injury, repetitive stress (for example, from sports such as tennis or golf), a herniated disc, or a variety of other causes.
Overland says that rarer but possible causes of sciatica include stenosis (or narrowing) of the lower back, arthritis of the lower back, spinal tumors, or simple anatomy. “In about 15 percent of the population, the sciatic nerve actually travels through the middle of the piriformis muscle in the buttock,” says Overland. “When that muscle gets tight and stiff and achy, it can press on the sciatic nerve and cause pain down the leg.”

4

When seeking medical attention for sciatica, it’s best to look for a musculoskeletal specialist

If you’ve experienced sciatica for more than three days or it’s severe enough that it’s interfering with your daily activities, Overland says it’s time to seek out a professional. Because sciatica can stem from so many different issues, he says, “It’s really important for people… to determine what it really is that’s causing the problem.”
In order to do that, Overland recommends consulting a medical professional who specializes in back and musculoskeletal conditions, such as a chiropractor, physical therapist, or orthopedist. “Urgent care docs or general practitioners… won’t necessarily have the tools within their office to do a detailed diagnostic evaluation,”’ he says.
Those evaluations might include a simple orthopedic and neurological assessment or more complex diagnostic tools such as X-rays, MRIs, or EMGs. “The severity (and in some cases the length of time that someone has had the condition) will determine how detailed the examinations are required to be,” says Overland.

5

Treatments for sciatica can vary widely.

Treatments for sciatica can range from very simple, natural approaches (such as physical therapy or a few visits to a chiropractor) to more aggressive measures such as injections or surgery, says Overland. Both Overland and Nemirovsky advocate for trying out the most conservative treatments first.
Overland especially cautions against using painkillers as a quick fix. “Too many of us want instant relief and health care from a bottle,” he says. “[But] taking really strong medication doesn’t fix it if there’s a mechanical cause. It just covers it up. So you go on with your life, but you’re not actually addressing the problem. And it becomes chronic.”
No matter the treatment approach, recovery times can vary widely. “It depends on the pathology,” says Nemirovsky. For example, sciatica resulting from a slipped disc might require a three-month treatment period (give or take), while simpler biomechanical issues might be relieved within a few physical therapy appointments. “It depends on how deteriorated or dysfunctional the patient presents at the time of their initial visit,” he says.
Many people believe that once you develop sciatica, it’s something you just have to live with. Luckily, that’s a big fat myth.
“There are people who… believe that once you have sciatica, it’s going to be there for the rest of your life,” says Overland. “That is simply not true… Oftentimes the reason people will experience sciatica for a long period is because they maybe have not been accurately diagnosed as to the cause of it. It’s really unusual that we would find a person that would have to live it.”

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/sciatica-nerve-pain

How to Prevent Sciatica

From thejoint.com

The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in your body and when something is going wrong with it, you will definitely know. This nerve runs from your back, through your pelvis, across your buttocks, and then down both legs all the way to your toes. If it’s irritated or compressed, then you may experience numbness if your feet, toes, or lower leg and/or pain. Coughing, sneezing, and sitting for long stretches of time can make it even worse. Here’s what you need to know about how to battle sciatica and avoid it!

The Proper Technique
Just as your chiropractor has techniques for treating sciatica, there are also techniques for things you should be doing to prevent sciatica when you’re at home or work. Remember that regular exercise and stretching will also help, along with sitting and lifting properly.

How to Sit
If you spend a lot of your day sitting and your sciatic nerve is starting to protest, then you must remember to sit the right way. You should:

• Sit with your shoulders back - Your spine should be straight and your butt should touch the back of the chair.
• Use lumbar support – There are three curves in your back, support them with the chair back. Use a rolled up towel or pillow at your lower back to help maintain all three curves.
• Distribute weight evenly – Your body weight should be even over your hips, not leaning to one side.
• Bend the knees – The knees should be at a right angle and slightly higher than your hips, with your feet flat on the floor.
• Move around – Every 30 minutes or so, you should get up and stretch a bit.
• Adjust the chair height – Your elbows should rest comfortably on your desk or chair, enabling you to keep your shoulders relaxed. If not, adjust your chair height.

When Lifting
When you lift something, you need to follow these rules to keep your sciatic nerve happy:

• Know your limits – If something is too heavy, and then get help.
• Get a firm footing – When you lift something, make sure your feet are on an even surface.
• Stay straight – Your back must be kept straight as you bend to pick something up at the waist, never bend forward.
• Stay close – Keep close to the object you’re picking up and keep your feet flat. Use the power of your legs and hips to lift, not the back.
• Don’t twist – Pivot when carrying something, never twist your waist.

If you ever notice you have problems with your sciatic nerve, make sure to bring it to the attention of your chiropractor. They can help you understand what you can do outside of their office to help reduce your discomfort and stay healthy!

https://www.thejoint.com/texas/spring/gleannloch-farms-28041/227901-how-to-prevent-sciatica

Excruciating Leg Pain? How to Relieve Your Sciatica

From clevelandclinic.org

A pinched nerve can have big consequences when it’s the longest, widest nerve in your body. That’s why compression of your sciatic nerve — sciatica — is such a challenge.
“Most people describe sciatica as pain radiating down one leg, especially below the knee,” says Santhosh Thomas, DO, MBA, Medical Director of the Centre for Spine Health.
“In more severe cases, numbness and/or weakness can develop in the any part of the leg, including the hip, thigh, knee or ankle.”
Common causes of sciatica include a herniated disk, lumbar spine stenosis and spondylolisthesis.

Why sciatica develops

Your sciatic nerve starts out as small nerves that branch out from both sides of the lower spinal cord. These join together, then quickly split in two to run down (and bring movement and sensation to) each hip, buttock and leg.
Compression at any point along the nerve causes symptoms, usually on the affected side. Burning or shooting pains make walking, sitting and standing up — or even coughing and sneezing — difficult.
Sciatica usually lasts for a couple of weeks, but may persist for a couple of months or even longer.
The good news? “Nearly 90 percent of sciatica patients do not require surgery. Most people simply need time, medication and physical therapy,” says Dr. Thomas.

How sciatica is diagnosed

Doctors start with a physical exam but also order imaging tests. X-rays can show bony detail. MRIs can reveal a bulging disk, cyst, or spine opening narrowed by arthritis.
Electromyography (EMG) can isolate the nerve involved. “It can tell us if an injury is new or old, and whether it is mild, moderate or severe,” he says.
The two-part test reveals which level of the spine is involved and whether a problem like foot drop is caused by a peripheral or a spinal nerve.

Conservative care

Conservative care should be tried first, Dr. Thomas says. Physical therapy is helpful to improve body mechanics, especially with progressive arthritis of the spine.
If conservative care doesn’t help, “we would consider spinal injections. Once the nerve root or the source is identified, we can proceed. We typically use anaesthetic and steroids for injections,” he explains.

Red flags for surgery

Surgery is a usually a last resort, but bowel or bladder problems signal the need for aggressive treatment.
“We also consider surgery if pain worsens, if weakness becomes noticeable, if you’re falling or if you can’t clear your foot (in other words, catch your toe on sidewalk),” says Dr. Thomas. “Don’t wait to seek help.”
Getting care for sciatica can ease your pain and help you regain your mobility.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2017/10/excruciating-leg-pain-how-to-relieve-your-sciatica/

A day in the life - work and sciatica

From community.scope.org.uk

Today we start a new theme about work, from finding work to the experiences in work.  George tells us about a day in his life working with the pain of sciatica.
I left school with no qualifications, and worked in warehousing up until 2003 when I had to pack in due to Sciatica which I still suffer from. My introduction to housing was through my local TMO where I have served as Secretary and Chair for about 6 years. During this period, I was involved in developing policies, improving the organisation’s communication, and steadily improving its image and satisfaction rates. I joined my current employer as a trainee for two years, before getting a full-time job with them as a Section 20 assistant and last year after restructuring became a Service Charge and Section 20 Assistant.
My day starts early, 6 am when I wake up feeling stiff and in pain. I spend between an hour and two hours stretching and trying to loosen up. A shower and getting ready to go to work.
My morning is spent checking the team email and allocating them to team members, responding to inquiries from the sale team as well as my own emails. I also deal with any mail coming to the team. I will also answer calls to the team phone line.

There are ten people in the team and the regional manager. Six of us have disabilities or long-term medical conditions. Different members have different hours, from the standard hours, two of us start later and finish later. Most of the team are on compressed hours, working longer hours for four days and having an extra day off. We are also fortunate enough to have flexible working, so the option of working from home or another office is not uncommon. So the team calendar and individual calendars are key to keep track of where people are.
When these tasks have been completed I like to take my lunch break, usually between 12 and 1 pm.
My afternoons tend to vary from day to day depending on the time of year and what is going on in the rest of the team. My first task is to check my to-do list and calendar and deal with anything outstanding. Afterward, I am either helping one of the officers or working on one of the ongoing projects. Assisting officers can be anything from setting up mail merges, filling envelopes to acknowledging we have received leaseholders’ letters or emails, scanning, and putting documents onto the computer.
Otherwise I am helping to gather information and preparing spreadsheets for the service charge actuals or estimates. While I have a good general knowledge I often lack the confidence in myself, and so this route allows me to gain more in-depth knowledge and confidence in myself. Over the last year, I am answering more complicated questions rather than just passing the caller onto one of the officers.
The hardest part of the job is reading and understanding leases, not always the best-written documents often with conflicting information and, as a legal document, often written in a legal language that can be complicated or have a specific meaning, not in common use.

My day ends when I get home and lie down. It often feels like I have a golf ball underneath me and can feel the muscles relaxing. I often hear a click which is usually uncomfortable, but on the odd occasion can be painful.
Between my voluntary and paid work, I love working in housing. I am living the life I want and hopefully at the beginning of my career.
If you’re disabled or have a physical or mental health condition that makes it hard for you to do your job, you can:

• talk to your employer about changes they must make in your workplace
• apply for Access to Work if you need extra help

Your employer must make certain changes (known as ‘reasonable adjustments’) to make sure you’re not substantially disadvantaged when doing your job. These could include changing your working hours or providing equipment to help you do your job.
You should talk to your employer about reasonable adjustments before you apply for Access to Work.
If the help you need at work isn’t covered by your employer making reasonable adjustments, you may be able to get help from Access to Work.

You need to have a paid job, or be about to start or return to one.

You’ll be offered support based on your needs, which may include a grant to help cover the costs of practical support in the workplace.

An Access to Work grant can pay for:

• special equipment, adaptations or support worker services to help you do things like answer the phone or go to meetings
• help getting to and from work

You might not get a grant if you already get certain benefits. The money doesn’t have to be paid back and won’t affect your other benefits.
You can find out more about work and disability here.

https://community.scope.org.uk/discussion/36206/a-day-in-the-life-work-and-sciatica

Gentle exercise can help with recovery from back pain

From dailyherald.com

Q: I have just been diagnosed with a herniated disc and pressure on the sciatic nerve in my lower spine. Currently, I participate in yoga, weights and machines at the gym, and I walk for most of my errands. Am I helping or hurting my recovery with these activities?

A: First, let's take a look at your spine. The bones of the spine are called vertebrae; in between those are intervertebral discs. The discs help hold the vertebrae together, but also act like shock absorbers when you jump, run, walk or lift.

The outside portion of a disc is essentially a ring of strong, cartilage-like material. Within this ring is a gel-like material called the nucleus pulposus, which also helps absorb shock.

When a disc herniates, the gel-like nucleus pulposus bulges through the cartilage-like layer of the disc. The problem with disc herniation is that the bulge pushes upon the nerves coming out of the spine. In the lumbar spine, this can lead to nerve pain that radiates down the leg. This is termed radiculopathy, which is what you seem to be describing.

The pain of lumbar radiculopathy can be debilitating, leading to time off work, inability to exercise and poor sleep. The encouraging fact is that the majority of people with lumbar radiculopathy recover fully.

As for exercise, the amount should depend on the activity and whether the activity increases the pain.

A 1999 study in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at 183 patients with symptoms of lumbar radiculopathy, separating the groups into those with bed rest and those who maintained their daily activities. The authors found that there was no difference in symptoms between the groups at either two or 12 weeks.

Similarly, a 2002 Journal of Neurosurgery study of 250 patients with symptoms of radiculopathy failed to find any difference at one, two or six months between those who underwent bed rest versus those who maintained their daily activities.

Nor did a 2004 combined review of 11 studies find any benefit to bed rest in those with lumbar radiculopathy. In fact, among people with lower back pain, maintaining activity showed greater benefit than bed rest.

As for yoga, I would consider a class that focuses on breathing and gentle stretching rather than intense stretching. If done properly, yoga can help improve posture, decrease muscle tightness and reduce pain. However, the more aggressive flow-type of yoga can have negative effects if positions are performed improperly.

Take similar care with weights. Avoid any such exercises that place strain on the back -- especially dead-lifting -- and be sure to decrease the number of pounds you're lifting.

Walking is somewhat different. It shouldn't worsen your symptoms -- and may in fact be helpful. That said, while you recover from your disc herniation, I would recommend avoiding stairs because going up or down them may be jarring to your back.

My advice? Be prudent about the types of exercise and activities you do with a herniated disc, because activities that place stress upon the lower back may make the herniation worse.

As your symptoms get better, you can start back-strengthening exercises that will reduce your risk of future low back pain.

• Dr. Robert Ashley, M.D., is an internist and assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu.

http://www.dailyherald.com/entlife/20170909/gentle-exercise-can-help-with-recovery-from-back-pain

Symptoms and treatment of sciatica

From palmbeachpost.com

The term sciatica describes the symptoms of leg pain — and possibly tingling, numbness, or weakness — that originate in the lower back and travel through the buttock and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of each leg.

Symptoms of sciatica are usually only felt in one leg. Although rare, symptoms can be present in both legs. Symptoms generally worsen when the patient is sitting. Common sciatica symptoms include pain that radiates through the buttock, down the back of the thigh, through the calf, and into the foot. Other sciatica symptoms include numbness, tingling, and a “pins-and-needles” sensation. If sciatica is allowed to progress without treatment, muscular weakness and a loss of leg function may begin to appear.

When discussing sciatica, it is important to understand the underlying medical cause, as effective treatment will focus on addressing the pain’s root cause as well as alleviating acute symptoms. The following lower back problems are the most common causes of sciatica: lumbar herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis or lumbar spinal stenosis.

The goals of nonsurgical sciatica treatments are to relieve pain and any neurological symptoms caused by a compressed nerve root. There is a broad range of options available for sciatica treatment such as heat/ice therapy, pain medications, massage therapy or epidural steroid injections. For most people, the good news is that sciatica typically gets better on its own, and the healing process usually will only take a few days or weeks.

Typically, it is reasonable to consider surgery for sciatica if severe leg pain has persisted for four to six weeks or if there is a limitation in the patient’s ability to participate in everyday activities. Depending on the cause and duration of the sciatica pain, one of two general surgeries will typically be considered: microdiscectomy or lumbar laminectomy.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/marketing/symptoms-and-treatment-sciatica/9cOq6exqFVaOnIzyaCHjQI/

Take the Sting Out of Sciatica

From toyourhealth.com

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, beginning in the lower back and extending through the buttocks and down the entire leg. When the nerve is inflamed or compressed, you've got sciatica, characterized by mild to severe pain, burning, tingling, numbness and/or weakness.
Your chiropractor knows a great deal about sciatica, particularly because the nerve originates in the lower back, and herniated spinal discs account for the majority of sciatica cases. In fact, sciatica is a common reason for visiting a chiropractor. If you're suffering from sciatica, your DC may perform chiropractic adjustments and related techniques to help resolve your pain.

In terms of future prevention once the pain is gone, exercise – specifically two low-level activities, walking and biking – may be suggested. Why? According to recent research, regular walking and/or biking reduces the risk of being hospitalized for sciatica by 33 percent, the same percentage risk increase attributable to obesity. While sciatica uncommonly leads to a hospital stay, it can persist if not treated properly and cause significant pain / disability.
The study did not find an association with other types of leisure-time physical activities, leading the researchers to speculate that walking / biking are specifically beneficial because they are low-level physical activities that don't strain the low back.
Talk to your chiropractor about sciatica prevention and conservative chiropractic treatment – before you are someone you know is faced with chronic pain or even hospitalization.

http://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=2416

Walking and biking tied to lower risk of hospitalization with sciatica

From foxnews.com

Lifestyle factors like obesity and smoking are known to raise people's risk of developing sciatica, but a new study finds that regular walking and biking may have an opposite, and just as powerful effect.

Researchers in Finland analyzed data on more than 35,000 people in that country who were followed for up to 30 years, and found that smoking and obesity each raised the risk of being hospitalized for sciatica by 33 percent or more, while regularly commuting on foot or by bicycle lowered the risk by 33 percent.

"The harmful effects of overweight, obesity and smoking, and the protective effect of walking or cycling to work on hospitalization are substantial," said lead study author Dr. Rahman Shiri of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in Helsinki.
"These findings have important implications for prevention," he told Reuters Health by email.
About 2 to 5 percent of people have sciatica, the authors note in the American Journal of Medicine. The painful condition typically results from a herniated disc in the lower back and a compressed nerve root, with shooting pain from the lower back along the sciatic nerve that extends down the back of the thighs and legs.
Sciatica rarely leads to surgery or hospitalization, but it's considered one of the more long-lasting and severe low back pain syndromes, Shiri said.

The study team analyzed data from four long-term studies with a total of 34,589 participants and 1,259 hospitalizations for sciatica during 12-30 years of follow-up. They looked at risk factors such as smoking, body mass index, obesity, age, sex, education and occupation, as well as the frequency, intensity and duration of physical activity.
Although smoking increased the risk of hospitalization for sciatica by 33 percent, former smokers were not at increased risk. Obesity increased hospitalization risk by 36 percent, especially abdominal fat, which pushed the increase to 41 percent.
At the same time, commuting to work by walking or cycling reduced the risk by 33 percent, which was true happened regardless of body weight and other activity.
"Other types of leisure time physical activities had no effect on hospitalization," Shiri added. "That was somewhat unexpected."
Regular low-level physical activities such as walking and cycling may be helpful because they don't strain the lower back, the study authors note, as opposed to higher-intensity exercise that may be harmful.
One limitation of the study is that it relies on self-reported data, and the researchers are unable to verify what other health factors were involved with hospitalization for sciatica. The studies also used different questions about leisure-time physical activity, and two surveys didn't have enough information to distinguish between potential gender-related differences.
Future studies should analyze long-term data related to these factors and measure the physical activity directly, the study authors write.
"It could be, for example, that there is something else associated with smoking and independently makes people more likely to be admitted to the hospital for sciatica," said David Coggon, a professor of occupational and environmental medicine at the University of Southampton in the UK.
Perhaps more importantly, future studies should look at the major changes in back pain and sciatica occurrence over time, Coggon added. For example, long-term workplace absence due to low back pain has increased eightfold between the 1950s and 1970s, said Coggon, who wasn't involved in the study.
"That said, there are plenty of other good reasons not to smoke, not to be obese, and to exercise," Coggon said. Changing habits could have "practical implications for public health" for many disorders or diseases, he added.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2017/08/04/walking-and-biking-tied-to-lower-risk-hospitalization-with-sciatica.html

Chronic pain sufferer who restored his own health launches therapy service in Suffolk

From eadt.co.uk

A long-term sciatica sufferer who mastered his own recovery has launched a new soft tissue therapy service in Suffolk.
After his dreams of becoming a firefighter were dashed, and having received surgery for a potentially debilitating slipped disc, Tom Conroy became fascinated with body biomechanics and the power of good posture.
Now, after qualifying in soft tissue therapy from the Oxford School of Sports Massage, Mr Conroy has started his own business in Ipswich delivering advanced soft tissue therapy techniques, and sports and remedial massage.
“There have been points in my life where the pain of sciatica was stopping so much of life’s enjoyment, preventing career avenues, and leading to a real loss of confidence in myself,” said Mr Conroy.
“After having surgery for my prolapsed disc in 2010, and seeing the power of soft tissue therapy, I knew that I could help other people transform the way they experience muscular and postural issues.
“I wanted to bring a service to the Ipswich and wider Suffolk area where my own story could play a part in the empathetic treatment of people who feel they’ve nowhere else to turn when it comes to pain and discomfort, whether due to chronic conditions, involvement in sports, or occupational or recreational activities.”
Mr Conroy is prepared to travel for clients, visiting offices, gyms or clients’ private homes, to provide appropriate therapies and post-treatment remedial care and lifestyle advice.

He added: “I’m keen to help people understand what a difference these therapies can make, and how quickly they can see progress in their physical capabilities and their general sense of wellbeing.”

http://www.eadt.co.uk/business/chronic-pain-sufferer-who-restored-his-own-health-launches-therapy-service-in-suffolk-1-5125585

COLUMN: If whining helped, I'd be cured by now

By Penny Weaver

Well, it's happened -- that is, it's happened again ... or still ... or something:

That "I'm-getting-old" moment has hit. Hard.

Let me set the scene.

We were visiting while sitting around a table at the Shelbyville Dairy Queen -- the happenin' place to be -- on Sunday. Since I'd been limping, I was telling the other 40-somethings at the table (who hadn't heard yet) about the return of my sciatica; that I can't walk for more than 50 feet without being in pain; that I can't stand for more than a minute before the pain starts to become excruciating; yada yada yada, whine, grumble, boo-hoo.

One of the others about my age started talking about the aches in his hands. Could it be arthritis?, we wondered. The other gal about my age mentioned her own physical ailments.

Then I looked around at the trio of 70- and 80-somethings sitting with us.

Well! Aren't we a bunch of wimps!?

My mother has Multiple Sclerosis and handles it like a champ. The other two also really cool, hardy ladies at the table have now and have conquered previous serious afflictions. Just who are we, the younger set, to complain?

I can't help it, to a degree -- I've been in near-constant pain since July 5 when this blankety-blank back trouble decided to return. Darn it. I knew that last back flip on the Fourth was one too many.

If you didn't laugh there, you don't know me. The idea of this completely uncoordinated fat gal doing a back flip is nothing if not giggle inducing...unless it's just scary.

So last week I picked out my first cane.

Oh, I already had one at home. It's an "old hickory" style that was our neighbour's, Earl Westenhaver, who was like a grandpa to my sisters and me. I kept it for sentimental reasons and because, hey -- you never know when you're going to need a cane.

But with this latest sciatica flare-up, I decided I ought to have an adjustable cane so it's the proper height and might do me the most good.

Well. You'd think a cane is a cane is a cane, right? Oh no.

First of all, surprisingly enough, the drugstore didn't have a cane that was also a sword. Imagine my disappointment. They didn't have one that doubles as a firearm, either, but that one probably would have been out of my price range. I'm not James Bond, you know.

So which style of handle to get? Padded? Plain? How about a quad cane, or one of those with the pivoting base? I checked out one or two, but they kind of made a rattling metallic sound when I walked with them, and I didn't like that.

I finally chose a hefty one that makes no noise as you walk and, I noticed later, is rated up to 500 pounds. I guess if I don't employ it for its intended use, I can keep it in my truck as a hook to tow a small passenger vehicle, or all my nieces and nephews together on roller blades.

Well, the cane hasn't helped, but now I have it, so that's something.

I'm continuing to do my physical therapy, which seems to help the most. Ice also gives some relief. But I've started to get creative in my search for healing.

I've honed and practiced a string of curse words that might make a sailor blush. Of course, I only employ these mentally or when at home alone. If I hobble down to the basement to do laundry, as the pain increases with every step when I return upstairs to the nearest chair, I tried a few curse words with increasing vehemence to combat the ache.

That didn't work. Besides, I felt guilty about cussing.

I've tried humour. If Quasimodo walked that way because he had sciatica, it's no wonder he didn't want to come down from the bell tower. My own bell tower is my recliner, where I can get the most relief from my hip pain, which is where the issue appears to centre, even though it actually stems from a pair of bulging discs in my back.

I thought "Quasimodo" might be a good new nickname, but I don't have that hunch back ... yet.

I tried doing things to get my mind off the issue. I enjoyed a book of "Fabulous Fishing Funnies" that my friend Betty gave me. They're all cartoons, so they're big on imagery and short on words: perfect for a person who reads all the serious news of the day (and some not so serious) all day long, and needs a break.

Next, I'll graduate to re-read my Calvin and Hobbes books of cartoons. They have more dialogue, so I'll work my way up to reading a real book.

I can't go too far without pain, so I tried sitting to rest and watching more TV than I usually watch. "Family Feud" amused me for a while, and I always keep tabs on CNN, Fox and MSNBC, but those get old, and other shows don't seem to catch my interest these days.

Motorcycling doesn't seem like a wise option, what with back trouble and all, but I do have a good cushion that would ease the pressure on my back. Now if I could get away from my desk at work long enough to ride ...

I could go fishing, and sit on a stool, but with the pain almost constant, I just don't feel like it. And when *I* don't feel like going fishing, you know there's something wrong.

Oh for crying out loud! What a big baby!

I finally decided that just plain toughing it out will have to do the trick. I'm resting as much as I can, which helps the most. Have I ever mentioned how much I love my recliner?

My bouts with sciatica have given me new empathy for people who have chronic pain and deal with chronic illnesses. My friend in the Atlanta area has Hidradenitis Suppurativa‎ (HS) -- try to say that three times really fast -- and this debilitating skin condition has rendered her unable to simply sit in a chair for nearly two years now.

So, no more complaining from me. Plenty of folks have it worse than I do. I think of veterans who suffer daily from severe wounds they received serving our country. I think of people with ailments far more debilitating than anything I've ever come close to having.

You know, suddenly I don't feel so bad. Don't mind me. I'll just limp along until it gets better. As my mom wisely says, "It'll either get better or it'll get worse."

Can't argue with that.

http://jg-tc.com/opinion/columnists/column-if-whining-helped-i-d-be-cured-by-now/article_502f34b1-a2f1-5988-adf6-fdc9b8c2378c.html

Give massage a chance

From walthamforestecho.co.uk

Having been a massage therapist for 16 years I have seen the many benefits massage has offered people with a wide range of conditions.
In this time I have worked at Ashlins Natural Health clinic in Walthamstow as well as massaging the dancers of the Royal Ballet. But the lack of massage in the NHS has been frustrating.
I was filled with hope for change last summer when the Waltham Forest Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) held a short public consultation before the renewal of their musculoskeletal contract, and decided to get involved.
I was, however, disappointed when not many local people knew about this consultation, very few responded, and nothing changed.

Coincidentally at the same time the BBC broadcast a programme called The Doctor Who Gave Up Drugs, showing a doctor at a Chingford GP medical centre reducing patients’ medication and improving their health and wellbeing with exercise alone.
I knew I had to do something to change the way the NHS treats patients, especially with musculoskeletal issues, and help patients receive a better and healthier service than they are currently offered.
Looking at the CCG’s facts and figures I also realised that if massage was used instead of medication or other expensive and invasive treatments, the NHS would save time and money, which would be a huge benefit in these times of austerity.
Two of my client stories will illustrate this; one came in with back pain and sciatica. He had a prolapsed disc earlier and the originally intermittent pain was now constant. NHS physio treatment had not worked and he was not keen on a back operation, so he decided to try massage. After the first treatment his sciatica had almost gone and after a couple of massages the back was much better too. He eventually didn’t need the operation!
Another client had severe shoulder pain. She couldn’t sleep on her shoulder and had been in tears as a result. As she came for her second treatment she was all smiles. The massage had ‘amazingly’ taken the pain away, she was able to sleep on her shoulder again, and everything was fine now.
Obviously not everything can be resolved as quickly as this, but all my clients over the years have benefited from massage. With such good results possible, why not give massage a chance before suggesting more invasive and expensive treatments? I believe many people would prefer massage to the current NHS options. It could save the NHS both time and money.
Knowing this I proposed to start a pilot in Waltham Forest using massage for musculoskeletal conditions, to prove massage works. This proposal has so far been ignored, which is why I have now started a petition proposing to offer massage on the NHS.

http://walthamforestecho.co.uk/give-massage-a-chance/

Understanding And Overcoming Neuralgia - Neuritis - Painful Nerves

By Andy Gibson

Neuralgia and neuritis often are applied to practically the same condition. The symptoms of the two may be very similar and a distinction between the two may be difficult. I shall attempt to state the difference.
'Neuralgia is an acute, more or less violent pain along the course of a nerve, more or less spasmodic in nature, induced by some irritation of the controlling centre of the nerve and not accompanied by any actual inflammation. Instead of pain there may be numbness. Neuralgic pains are relieved by pressure. Neuralgia is not a specific disease, but is usually a symptom of some other abnormality. Numerous conditions seemingly act as predisposing or exciting causes. Among these are heredity, anemia, exposure to cold and dampness, injury, infectious fevers, metallic poisons, alcohol, tobacco in any form, gout, diabetes and disorders of the central nervous system; over-fatigue or worry and mental depression, also any depressing mental emotion may be responsible for its appearance. Tension of spinal muscles and ligaments or spinal subluxations not infrequently cause it. Except when due to direct injury or to spinal lesions resulting from injury the underlying cause of neuralgia is the toxemia resulting from wrong habits of living.
Neuralgic pains may appear in any part of the body, but occur most often in the region of the forehead, face and chest.
The symptoms most characteristic of neuralgia include the pain along the course of a sensory nerve that may be involved. Often there is general debility and more or less anemia. People subject to neuralgia usually are the very active type and are in perpetual motion, much of the work being wholly unnecessary, and many of the pleasures such people enjoy usually are of the nerve-destroying kind.

Neuritis is an inflammation of a nerve as the "itis" signifies. There may be one, several or many nerves involved. When many nerves are affected the condition is called multiple neuritis.
There is little difference between the causes of neuritis and neuralgia. Toxemia and exhaustion of nervous energy through wrong habits of living are the leading causes of practically all cases except those resulting from some crushing, severing or straining nerve injury or some specific poisoning, such as lead-poisoning. In most of these cases there is a definite starvation for vital mineral elements and vitamins. The condition called beriberi, the chief symptom of which is multiple neuritis, is due chiefly to deficiency of vitamin B. Excessive consumption of alcohol is a frequent cause of neuritis.
The symptoms of neuritis are pains, quite similar to those of neuralgia, except more severe because of the inflammation. Whereas neuralgic pain is relieved by pressure, the pains of neuritis are aggravated by it; and whereas neuralgic pains usually are relieved by heat, neuritic pains are more often relieved by cold. Sciatica is inflammation of the nerve trunk of the thigh; lumbago is neuritis of the nerves in the lumbar or lower back region.
Multiple neuritis (involving a number of nerves) gives rise to pain, numbness, loss of muscular control, but especially of some of the muscles below the elbow and below the knee (causing inability to raise the forearm or the foot in extension), sometimes a muscular atrophy or mental symptoms. It results directly from poisons in the blood, such as those causing many other diseases, and also to such poisonings as lead, arsenic, alcohol, etc. The extremities are the regions most frequently and seriously involved.
In any case of neuralgia or neuritis it is wise, if possible, to discover and remove or overcome any existing cause or causes. It will be necessary in all cases to improve the quality of the blood. This will require eradication of any toxic elements and at the same time, or later, a provision of all of the elements and vitamins. In most of these cases the absolute fast is of benefit, but when there is a general debility the fruit diet as a rule will be better. Either diet may continue as long as general conditions will permit. There should be ample quantities of water taken into the body, by drinking and, if the judgment of one qualified deems this necessary, by the enema.
The strict milk diet will be especially helpful in these cases, particularly in neuralgia. If this diet is not used, then there should be ample amounts, and yet no more than the body requires of milk, fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals, butter and cream, olive oil or nut oil, and egg yolks. Milk and cottage cheese should form the chief protein. Sweets and starches should be in the form of sweet fruits and whole grain cereals. Neuralgia cases especially need general as well as local rest - because as a rule they have been overactive. In the case of neuritis local rest of the part is especially indicated; but if there is a general debility or if there is a multiple neuritis or if severe general symptoms also appear there should be general rest. Air-baths and sunbaths are helpful in both conditions. Spinal treatments by the various methods frequently advised in this volume are of great benefit in both neuralgia and neuritis.

Although care must be taken not to use such cold baths as to shock the nervous system severely, cool (tonic) baths should be taken when reaction is satisfactory. The tepid or barely warm bath will be excellent in most cases. If the pain is extreme a decidedly hot bath or a hot local bath or application may be given, particularly in neuralgia. Cool compresses or cool bathing of a local part without drying, in the case of neuritis, will be helpful.
Heat to the local part by fomentations or by the hot-water bag, electric heating pad or other means will give relief in neuralgia, and often in neuritis. Some of these cases respond well by a mild degree of sunburn to the local region. Hot abdominal packs may be given frequently for general favourable effect. When possible there should be moderate exercise which, of course, should be taken regularly but not over strenuously. Care must be taken to avoid those movements and those forms of strenuous physical activity that may tend to aggravate pain.
Neuritics particularly must learn to take life, themselves and their work less seriously. They must learn to relax and let non-essential work go. They must learn how to play and enjoy life. While the pain lasts they may not be able to enjoy life very well, but they will find life becoming less burdensome if they follow some such program as has been outlined here.
My firm belief is: "Finding a cause leads the way to find a cure". So, it is basically important to understand everything from its deepest core. 

http://ezinearticles.com/?Understanding-And-Overcoming-Neuralgia---Neuritis---Painful-Nerves&id=9738633

Symptoms, Causes and Treatment for Sciatica

From thejoint.com

Sciatica, also known as sciatic neuritis, is often used as a catch-all term for leg and lower back pain -- however this is incorrect. The sciatic nerve is not just one nerve, but a group of nerves bundled up into smaller branches that stem from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each leg into the toes. Sciatica is a diagnostic term referring to the radiating pain caused by inflammation, compression or irritation of that group of nerves.
Let’s take a look at how you can identify symptoms and causes of sciatica and the treatment options available to you.

Symptoms of Sciatica

Sciatica can cause extreme radiating pain and discomfort in the lower back and buttocks, down the back of the thigh, knee, leg (calf), and even into feet and toes. The pain can be intermittent and shooting, or it can be constant. Many also experience variant levels of numbness, tingling, muscle soreness and/or hot and cold sensations. All of these symptoms can have different levels of distribution and can be exacerbated with movement.

What Causes Sciatica Pain?

Compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve can occur at any point in the length of the nerve itself. All nerves have a root that exits the spine. The sciatic nerve is comprised of nerve roots at the L4-S3 levels of the spine. This means it originates in the lower lumbar and sacral regions (the low back). Often, compression or irritation is present in the spine because the vertebrae in these areas are subluxated (restricted or malpositioned). Irritation of the spine can also be caused by tight muscles that put pressure on the nerve, the most common being the piriformis or the gluteal muscles.

Sciatica Treatment Options

Although rare instances require more invasive forms of treatment, most cases can be managed or resolved in a few weeks by simple non-invasive treatments.
Non-invasive treatment such as spinal manipulation, also known as chiropractic adjustments, of the lumbar and sacral spine can improve motion and flexibility to restricted lower vertebras, and help facilitate proper nerve function for muscles that may be compressing the nerve. Doctors of chiropractic may also recommend home therapy treatments to aid the healing benefits of the adjustment, such as anti-inflammation supplements, hot and cold compression and stretching. Although it’s important to note that stretching is not always recommended when symptoms are at their peak because it can increase the level of discomfort.
With non-invasive treatments such as chiropractic care becoming more convenient and affordable, it’s unfortunate that many healthcare providers’ first treatment option for sciatica too frequently involves prescription medication. While this may be called for to manage symptoms in some cases, it does not address or solve the cause of the problem. It will only mask it.
If you or someone you know is suffering from sciatica, take comfort knowing there are other options. Drug-free, non-invasive treatment options such as chiropractic care can combat pain and discomfort while addressing the root cause, allowing your body to heal -- all at the same time.

https://www.thejoint.com/2017/06/08/symptoms-causes-and-treatment-for-sciatica

Proper steps can help with sciatica recovery

From the gardenisland.com

For those who have had sciatic pain, you well know the discomfort associated with the issue. Sciatica is caused by impingement of the sciatic nerve — a nerve that runs from the lower spine, across the buttocks, down the leg, and across the top of the foot.

The sciatic nerve supplies both feeling (sensation) and strength to the leg and foot muscles. The sciatic nerve can become irritated if it gets pinched from a tight muscle such as the piriformis muscle in the buttocks, or from a herniated or bulging disc in the back.

Other issues that can irritate the sciatic nerve are structural in nature, such as spinal stenosis (spinal stenosis is a condition, mostly in adults 50 and older, in which your spinal canal starts to narrow) or spondylolisthesis (spondylolisthesis is a condition in which one bone in your back slides forward over the bone below it).
Sciatica typically affects one leg, wherein people may feel sharp pain, numbness, tingling, and possibly weakness along one leg, the calf and the toes. Sometimes, bowel or bladder incontinence or a foot drop (inability to lift the foot on the affected side) can occur.

These serious symptoms need to be treated by a physician, and sometimes the answer requires surgical intervention. The good news is that in most cases when properly cared for, with conservative treatment, sciatic pain can resolve in a matter of weeks.
Sciatica often is a result of muscle imbalances — tight and shortened muscles in the front of the thigh (the psoas or the quadriceps themselves) can result in a tug of war between the muscles in the front of the leg and the muscles in the back of your hips.

The result is a lack of support for the spine and therefore, consequently the muscles surrounding the spine and the vertebral discs may place pressure on the sciatic nerve causing irritation. Driving is also a problem for those who can easily slip into a sciatic flare up. Sitting on tight muscles through which an irritated sciatic nerve flows, can send those painful impulses across your butt, down the leg and across the top of your foot. Backs like to move!

In most cases, a specific, controlled progressive exercise program that is tailored around the underlying cause of the sciatic pain is part of the treatment. This approach reduces the sciatic pain, and also provides the conditioning to help prevent future flare-ups.

You should work with a physical therapist, a chiropractor, a physiatrist, or a certified athletic trainer or other spine specialist who treats back and leg pain in order to ensure that the exercises that you do are specific for the cause of the sciatica and also properly executed.

While it may seem that taking it easy and resting is a good solution for easing the pain, inactivity will usually make the pain worse. Without movement and the proper exercises, the back muscles and spinal structure, become de-conditioned and less able to support the back. This can lead to further back injury and strain. Movement and exercise also is important for the health of the spinal discs, because it helps exchange nutrients and fluids within the discs.

Many sciatica exercises serve to strengthen the abdominal muscles as well as the back muscles. Stretching exercises for tight muscles is also usually part of the recovery program. Doing the wrong type of exercise without regard for the origin of the sciatic pain can worsen the pain, therefore it is imperative to get an accurate diagnosis prior to starting any exercise program.

Regardless of the diagnosis, most types of sciatica will respond to a regular routine of hamstring stretching. Because overly tight hamstrings increase the stress on the low back and often aggravate or cause sciatica. However, these stretches should be supervised by a therapist or other trained health care providers so that they improve the condition rather than irritate it. Walking is generally a good form of exercise for the low back, because it is low impact and gets the back up and moving.

Caring for sciatica should be part of your everyday living. In addition to a sound and strategic exercise program, you should take care to minimize the stress placed on the back by using appropriate ergonomics while lifting items, maintaining good posture, and ensuring that the low back is supported while sitting, as well as avoid sitting or standing in one spot for lengthy periods of time.

Alleviating sciatic pain caused by degenerative disc disease includes finding the most comfortable position for the lumbar spine and training your body to maintain this position during activities. By doing this, you can improve your own sense of movement and reduce excess movement at the spinal segments, thus reducing pain. Wishing you the very fondest Aloha!

http://thegardenisland.com/lifestyles/proper-steps-can-help-with-sciatica-recovery/article_bddceb74-3523-5eb7-92d9-4588130a5c4d.html

How long does sciatica last?

From belmarrahealth.com

Sciatica is a pain that radiates down the back, though the buttocks, and into the leg. The most common question people ask is: how long is this going to last? We want to know how long each attack will last and how long between flare-ups, but the answer may be more complicated than just simply giving a definite length of time. There are unfortunate individuals who have pain that doesn’t go away, often leaving them with suffering from chronic and persistent pain.
What most doctors and medical professionals can agree on is that there is no universally applicable answer to this question. This article will address questions such as, does sciatica go away on its own? What does sciatica feel like? And can sciatica go away? We will also discuss the causes of sciatica pain, severe complications of sciatica, and sciatica relief.

What does sciatica feel like?

Sciatica is a pain in the lower back or hip that radiates down into the buttocks and into the back of the leg along the sciatic nerve, with the pain often terminating in the foot. It is often the result of a pinched or inflamed sciatic nerve, which can occur after an injury, muscular strain, or herniated vertebral disc. Sciatic pain typically goes away on its own within a few weeks.
This type of pain can be difficult to describe, as it can take a number of different forms. It may feel like more of a cramping or numbing pain sensation that worsens when you sit, sneeze, or cough. It may be described as numbness combined with an electrical or burning sensation running down the leg, or even just as “pins and needles” along the leg. Pain associated with sciatica can be accompanied with muscle weakness, and it sometimes results in loss of bowel and bladder control, which would require emergency care treatment.
Current statistics show that 80 to 90 percent of all patients recover within six weeks without surgery.

How long does sciatica last?

Acute sciatica attacks

Acute attacks are by far the most common complaint in those with sciatic pain, with symptoms coming and going. The frequency of flare-ups can vary from patient to patient, with some having more episodes and others only having them on occasion. The following are some of the facts associated with acute episodes of sciatica:

• Attack episodes do not typically last long in patients with a limited history of attacks—less than five years. These patients have occasional bouts of sciatic pain they might endure for about a week or two that gets better on its own. However, some may find these flare-up periods severely debilitating, as they are not accustomed to the pain, frequently leading to feelings of anxiousness and stress.
• There is no clear evidence of any triggers that lead to flare-ups of sciatica pain, but certain physical and emotional instigators may be potential causes.
• Statistically, acute pattern flare-ups may occur between two to six times a year, but there are patients who experience more or even less.

Chronic sciatica attacks

As the name suggests, chronic symptoms exist over longer periods of time or virtually all the time. This category of sciatic pain is often described as a pain that never really goes away. The severity of the symptoms, however, is often not as intense as it was when they first developed sciatica. Over time, their tolerance for pain has increased, allowing them to endure it for lengthy periods of time. The following are some facts associated with chronic episodes of sciatica:

• Chronic pain sufferers often report their symptoms to be less severe over time, along with decreased levels of anxiety and fear that once was associated with the condition
• It is rare for a person to just suddenly develop chronic sciatica from nowhere and have the pain remain for an extended period of time
• Chronic sciatic is, unfortunately, a lifelong condition, as it is one of the most difficult pain disorders to resolve

While there are cases of individuals who make full recovery from sciatic pain, the harsh truth of the matter is that the majority of patients will have some degree of pain for the rest of their lives. Sciatica does not respond well to most forms of treatment, with no accurate explanation for its cause.

Complications of sciatica

While most people fully recover from sciatic pain, it can still potentially cause some serious complications, such as:

• Loss of feeling in the affected leg
• Weakness in the affected leg
• Loss of bowel and bladder function

When to see a doctor?

Experiencing sciatic type symptoms should prompt you to go see your doctor right away, as it can drastically reduce the length of time you suffer from the condition. Your doctor may also help you determine if you are at risk for any further complication and provide treatment that is best for you. While mild sciatic pain can go away in time, it’s a good rule of thumb to call your doctor if you are finding your pain to be particularly unbearable.

http://www.belmarrahealth.com/long-sciatica-last/

Drugs no solution for Sciatica pain: study

From 9news.com.au

People suffering from sciatica nerve pain spreading down their legs aren't necessarily any better off if they take a commonly prescribed painkiller, a study has found.
Researchers from the Sydney-based George Institute for Global Health gave 209 people with moderate-to-severe sciatica either the painkiller pregabalin or a placebo and found little difference between the relief they delivered.
Associate professor Christine Lin, who led the study, said the study was sparked by concerns that people with sciatica were being over-prescribed painkillers.

Sciatica is characterised by leg pain, including tingling, numbness or weakness, that radiates from the lower back and down the sciatic nerve that runs along the back of each leg.
People with lower back problems such as herniated discs or spinal stenosis can often have symptoms of sciatica.
Assoc prof Lin said the use of neuropathic pain medicines such as pregabalin had increased six fold in the past decade, while an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 Australians are thought to be affected by sciatica each year.
"But, until now there has been no high quality evidence to help patients and doctors know whether pregabalin works for treating sciatica," she said on Thursday.
"Our results have shown pregabalin treatment did not relieve the pain, but did cause side effects such as dizziness."
For the study, 108 people were given up to 600mg of pregabalin a day while the remaining 101 received a matching placebo.
After eight weeks, both sets of people reported similar levels of pain in their legs.
The results were also similar after 52 weeks.
However the people who took the pregabalin reported nearly twice as many adverse side effects, the most common being dizziness.
Despite the findings, almost two thirds of the patients in each group reported being extremely satisfied or satisfied with their treatment.
Assoc Prof Lin said two years after pregabalin was listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2013, prescriptions soared to higher-than-expected 2.4 million.
She said the most important thing people with sciatica could do is avoid bed rest and keep active.
"Unfortunately there are no drugs proven to work for people with sciatica and even epidural injections only provide a small benefit in the short term," Assoc prof Lin said.
"What we do know is that most people with sciatica do eventually recover with time."

http://www.9news.com.au/health/2017/03/23/08/05/drugs-no-solution-for-sciatica-pain-study

Sciatic Nerve Pain: Prevention, Stretches, and Exercises for Pain Relief

From belmarrahealth.com

Sciatica occurs when a person experiences feelings of numbness or tingling, which begins in the lower back region, through the buttocks, and runs down the leg—the sciatic nerve.
Nerve pain resulting from sciatica is a symptom related to an underlying condition that affects the sciatic nerve. Conditions that can lead to sciatica are a lumbar herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, and spinal stenosis.
Fortunately, physical therapy and exercises can help relieve sciatic nerve pain and improve the condition by increasing strength through stretching and aerobic techniques.

Sciatic nerve pain stretches

Sciatic nerve pain stretches aim to target the muscles that lead to pain. These muscles are often tight and inflexible, so stretching can loosen the tightness and minimize pain.
Stretching the hamstring is best for dealing with sciatic nerve pain, as the sciatic nerve runs through the hamstring—this is the area behind the quadriceps, underneath your buttocks.
Here are some examples of sciatic nerve pain stretches:
Towel hamstring stretch: Lay on your back with a towel wrapped around your thigh. With your leg up in the air and your hands grasping the towel, begin to straighten the knee until a stretch is felt at the back of the thigh. Hold the position for 10 seconds and gradually begin to increase the duration of the hold.
Wall hamstring stretch: Once again, lay on the floor with your buttocks up against a wall. With one leg stretched out in front and the other up against the wall, push the knee straight until a stretch is felt.
Hamstring stretch while sitting: Sit at the edge of a chair and have one leg straight out in front of you with your heel on the floor, toes pointing upward. Sit up straight while pushing your navel towards your thigh without actually leaning over. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat three times for each leg.
Pigeon pose: Lay with your back flat on the floor, then raise your right leg up to a right angle and interlock your fingers behind the thigh. Raise you left leg, resting your right ankle on its knee, and press that knee towards your head to stretch the tiny piriformis muscle. Lower both legs then repeat on the opposite side.
Knee to opposite shoulder: Begin by lying flat on your back with your feet flexed upwards. Lift your right leg, then link your fingers around your knee and pull it gently across your body towards the opposite shoulder. Hold the position for 30 seconds before returning to the starting position and repeat the movement with your left leg.
Sitting spinal stretch: Start by sitting on the ground with your legs extended in front of you and your feet flexed upwards. Bend your right knee and cross your leg over the left, planting your right foot flat on the outside of your left knee. Turn your upper body and place your left elbow to the outside of your right knee, helping to keep your body turned towards the right. Hold this pose for 30 seconds, then return to the starting position and repeat on the left side.
Standing hamstring stretch: Place your right foot on an elevated surface either at or below hip level and flex your foot so that your toes and leg are straight. Bend forward towards your foot and reach for your toes – the further you bend the deeper the stretch. Hold this position for 30 seconds, then switch legs.
Reclining Cow’s Face Pose: Lay face-up on your back and cross your left leg over your right. Raise both legs off the floor, flexing both feet, and reach for your outer ankles to hug your legs towards your stomach. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.
Low Lunge: Begin in a regular lunge position with your right leg forward and your left knee on the ground. The top of your left foot should be flat on the ground. Lift your torso slowly and rest your hands on your right thigh, then lean your hips forward to stretch the left hip flexor. Hold this pose for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.

Sciatica Exercises

Exercising for sciatica nerve pain has been found to be more effective than simply staying in bed. Strengthening and low aerobic exercises should be your go-to, as they offer the most relief from sciatica nerve pain.
Strengthening exercises should work to strengthen the spinal column and the supporting muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This includes targeting the lower back, abdomen, glutes, and hip muscles.
Low aerobic exercises consist of walking, swimming, and pool therapies. They aim to increase fluid and nutrient exchange in order to promote a healthy environment for healing. Furthermore, low aerobic exercises work as a natural painkiller, as exercise has been shown to help alleviate pain by increasing endorphins in the body.
Speak to your physical therapist or trainer with regards to appropriate exercises to help strengthen your muscles in order to reduce sciatica nerve pain.

http://www.belmarrahealth.com/sciatic-nerve-pain-prevention-stretches-exercises-pain-relief/

Temporary Versus Long-Lasting Pins and Needles

From news-medical.net

The common phenomenon of ‘pins and needles’ sensation (or paresthesia) caused by abnormally functioning nerves is described best as tingling and prickling feelings in one or more limbs. It may be intense enough to be uncomfortable or even painful, depending on the underlying etiology. In common parlance, the nerve is said to have fallen asleep.
Pins and needles may be temporary or permanent.

Temporary paresthesia

Temporary causes of pins and needles include lying or leaning against a hard surface in some position which puts prolonged pressure on a limb. This cuts off sufficient blood flow and shuts down the stream of nerve impulses. In such cases, merely changing a position restores normal function to the nerve and the sensation disappears. At first the limb feels numb and unusually heavy, but this is rapidly replaced by the onset of a fierce prickling. This is caused by random abnormal firing of sensory impulses by the recovering nerve cells to the brain and spinal cord.
Kneeling on a hard surface, or just wearing socks or shoes which are so tight as to put pressure on the nerves running near the bones of the foot, can also bring about temporary pins and needles in the lower limbs. The quickest and only remedy is to take off the pressure and allow the nerve to regain its normal metabolic activity. Nerves consume much oxygen, so a normal blood supply is crucial. Once blood flow reduces, anaerobic metabolism takes over, bringing about the creation of metabolites which result in shutting down cell activity for some time.
Raynaud’s disease is another condition in which the limbs develop pins and needles. In this case, the blood supply to the tips of the fingers or toes is cut off severely by cold external temperatures, or (in a few cases) by anxiety or stressful circumstances. This leads to impaired nerve transmission.
Hyperventilation is yet another cause of temporary pins and needles. In this case the acid-base balance in the body is upset by the excessive voiding of carbon dioxide through the breath, leading to an imbalance in the levels of various ions in the blood. This is responsible, in turn, for abnormal nerve conduction, which results in pins and needles.

Long-lasting pins and needles

When pins and needles occur very frequently or last a long time, other more serious causes should be ruled out. These primarily include neuropathies or diseases of the nerves, which may be due to nerve trauma, nerve toxicity or nerve disease.
One of the most common causes of nerve damage in modern times is diabetes mellitus, in which high blood glucose levels produce toxic results on nerve cells. Also, some toxic agents may “poison” the nerves, leading to chronic pins and needles. They include lead, radiation, and alcohol abuse. Furthermore, certain drug may cause persistent pins and needles, most notably chemotherapeutic agents, anticonvulsants, certain antibiotics, as well as drugs used to treat HIV infection.
Again, many nerve entrapment syndromes present with pins and needles among other symptoms, including ulnar nerve compression, cervical spondylitis, sciatica due to compression of the sciatic nerve in the pelvis or thigh, or carpal tunnel syndrome. In all these conditions, a major sensory nerve is compressed when it passes through a confined space which is shared by other structures, one or more of which is inflamed.
Other causes of nerve damage include:

• Damage to the central or peripheral nervous system, such as a stroke or multiple sclerosis
• Malnutrition such as vitamin B12 deficiency, where a vitamin that is crucial to nerve integrity is missing or deficient
• Pernicious anemia in which vitamin B12 is deficient because of a congenital error of metabolism
• Nerve damage due to overuse, infection or injury
• Hypothyroidism, which is also associated with nerve compression due to edema of many structures, and is also therefore a cause of pins and needles

http://www.news-medical.net/health/Temporary-Versus-Long-Lasting-Pins-and-Needles.aspx

Treating back pain and sciatica: 7 better things to do now

From emaxhealth.com

Back pain that can be isolated or include other symptoms such as mild to intense discomfort caused by inflammation in the sciatic nerve, known as sciatica, can be nerve wracking as anyone dealing with the condition already knows.

Is there a natural, drug-free way to treat your back or sciatic pain? Here are 7 better ways to get healthier if you're dealing with pain. What you should know and 7 other things to do now to get relief.
Symptoms of sciatica

• Intermittent pain
• Throbbing
• Low back pain that can extend to the buttock or down the leg to the ankle
• Inability to get comfortable in any position.
• The pain might worsen when you sit
• Pain on one side of buttocks - in the middle
• Hip pain
• Weakness on the affected side
• Burning sensation in the buttocks, hip or leg

Causes of back, hip, knee and leg pain
Your doctor might recommend and MRI to pinpoint the cause of the problem that can stem from pinched nerve in the spine from displaced discs in the spine, narrowing of the spinal canal, bone spur (an abnormal bony growth) or degenerative disc disease or a tumour. Sciatica can also be caused by muscle spasm.
Usual treatment for pain is anti-inflammatory medication or narcotics, muscle relaxants and medications that target nerve pain,
Most prescriptions have side effects that include drowsiness, constipation, stomach upset, lack of appetite and even depression. Taking medications might be necessary for a short period of time to help with needed rest, but they can also interfere with healing.
Diagnosis
Before you embark on any treatment for back, hip or related pain it’s important to get the right diagnosis and speak to your doctor before starting or resuming any type of physical activity.
Recent information from the Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons highlights the importance of understanding back pain can be the result of a hip problem.
Conversely hip pain could be coming from a problem occurring in your back.
The article, published February 2017 Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) warns about the importance of finding the origin of back pain that can radiate to the buttocks, hip or even the knee.
Know that what you might think is sciatic pain could be something else that could include fracture of the hip, poor blood supply to the hip, cartilage damage or other sources.
Keep detailed records of your symptoms to discuss with your doctor who should take detailed information and perform an in depth physical assessment including observing how you walk.
Natural treatments
Stay active: Don’t go to bed. Instead of resting - and this might be hard - do your best to continue your normal activities, even if you have to do them more slowly. Studies have found bedrest might provide some temporary relief but you’re recovery time will end up longer. It doesn’t take much time to become deconditioned from too much rest. The result will be weaker muscles, more susceptibility to injury and the potential for loss of independence with daily activities.
Experiment using heat and ice: You may not know which treatment will work best for sciatica. Experimenting with alternating heat and ice is often recommended. Cold packs can calm inflammation, especially after you have been active or exercising. Heat acts to improve blood flow. Both treatments can help reduce muscle spasms that can happen from posturing or protecting your gait when trying to walk around with pain.

Back pain that can be isolated or include other symptoms such as mild to intense discomfort caused by inflammation in the sciatic nerve, known as sciatica, can be nerve wracking as anyone dealing with the condition already knows.

Yoga: Downward dog and pigeon pose are especially effective for releasing pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Turmeric: The Indian spice curcumin in turmeric has been the subject of special interest recently - mostly due to it’s anti inflammatory and overall health properties.
Some people who cook with the spice or take biologically absorbable capsules report good results. Make sure you discuss taking any supplements with your doctor. Over the counter herbs and supplements could interfere with other medications you might be taking.
Transcutaneous Nerve Stimulation (TENS): You can purchase a TENS unit without a doctor’s prescription - but first ask your healthcare provider if the unit is safe and might work for you. Look for a unit that is FDA approved.
The use of neurostimulators is still somewhat controversial but evidence suggests they can help alleviate pain if you have had surgery and continue to experience back pain.
Acupuncture: A 2016 study showed acupuncture was more effective than medications for treating sciatica. Using needles to stimulate the nervous system with acupuncture also seemed to make medications more effective.
Most insurance companies provide some coverage or discount for in network acupuncturists.
Biofeedback: Therapists trained in biofeedback may also be able to help. The premise is to teach the body to recognize pain triggers and help calm stress that is inevitable when we hurt.
Back pain treatment could also solve erection problems
Back pain can have many causes. Getting to the bottom of what is causing sciatica (pinched nerve) or pain in the buttocks, leg or hip is the first step. Once you learn what is causing the problem you can talk to your healthcare provider about these natural ways that may be better than prescriptions to stay active and comfortable.

http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/treating-back-pain-and-sciatica-7-better-things-do-now?page=2

Suffering Succotash It's Sciatica

From newswire.net

Darien, CONNECTICUT -- So you have this sharp pain that starts in your back and goes down your leg. You may pop a few Aleve to work your way through the pain. You will have it worse at times and sometimes it may go away for a few hours. Is it fixed? Probably not as it will return without notice at the slightest provocation. So what is it and why is it happening to you? Without getting heavily into the biomechanics of your spine here is a simple explanation. The sciatic nerve arises off the trunks of sacral nerves in the lower back. The reason you feel pain in the leg and foot is because the sciatic nerve and its nerve branches enable movement and feeling (motor and sensory functions) in the thigh, knee, calf, ankle, foot, and toes. Oh and it is very big. In fact it is the largest nerve in the body. It can be as thick as your thumb. The larger the nerve the more pain it can cause so what are you supposed to do about it?
You have to understand how your pelvis works and its function. The pelvis is comprised of three bones, the left and right ilia and the sacrum. The pubic bones are continuous with the ilia so I am counting them as one bone. Together they form a base for the upper body. If you fall and the pelvis shifts it can put stress on the sacral nerves that can lead to sciatica. The pelvic muscles will have to pick up more load bearing due to the shift in the pelvis. The bones are static and when they are in their perspective positions they bear the load. Muscles being dynamic have blood and nerve supply that can send pain signals when stressed more readily then bones.

Let's talk about the nerve itself. Nerves are like wires in that they carry information from the brain to all parts of the body and back to the brain. The nerve is only so long, in some cases up to three feet in length. Since the nerve is very sensitive when it is stretched beyond its physiological limits you will be notified promptly by a sharp, jolting pain. The pain if left untreated will comeback every time you stretch the sciatic nerve too far. Unfortunately, anti-inflamatories that are dished out like candy are ineffective. The tension arises from the point where the pelvic default is located. In this case it is where the sacrum and the ilium meet. This is called the SI joint.
If you address the pelvic default by re-positioning the pelvis to an anatomical correct position you will remove the physical stress placed on the muscles and more importantly the load on the sciatic nerve. Fix it and forget the pain. Pop a pill when sciatica rears its ugly head and you will go through an awful lot of Advil. Your choice. I hope you learned something from this article on sciatica.

https://newswire.net/newsroom/blog-post/00095094-suffering-succotash-it-s-sciatica.html

What is sciatica? Understanding the causes of lower back pain

From laprensasa.com

What is sciatica?  This is a word that is used often, but how many patients really understand what it is?  Well, sciatica refers to the sciatic nerve in the body which is also largest nerve in the body.  It is actually two nerves that split behind the knee and travel from the lower back down the back of the leg and into the foot.  It is pain running down the back of the leg caused by a problem in the back.
Sciatica sufferers may experience pain, numbing or tingling in the leg.  Patients may also experience a burning or weakness in the leg causing the sensation of one leg feeling heavier than the other.  Now that we know what sciatica is, what causes it?
The three common causes of lower back pain and sciatica are herniated disk, stenosis and pelvic problems.  First we look at a herniated disk.  There are many ways to describe a herniated disk such as abutting, protruded, sequester, however, they cause pain the same way, “bending forward.”  Typically, younger people experience this.  They have pain bending over to pick up something.  It could be something very light or heavy that starts their back pain.
The next cause of lower back pain and sciatica is stenosis.  It may also be categorized as degenerative disc disease or degenerative joint disease.  They all cause pain the same way, by bending backwards.  Typically, older people (usually over the age of 55 years old) suffer from this.  They often complain of pain when standing or walking.  You might notice them shopping at a big food store for example, usually leaning forward on their shopping cart while walking around the store.
Finally, pelvic or SI joint instability may cause sciatica.  There is no typical age category for this cause.  I see it in patients as young as 16 years old to 96 years old.  These people usually complain of pain with sitting or changing positions.  For example, moving from sitting to standing.
How do physical therapists treat this successfully?  There are physical therapists who specialize in treating the lower back and sciatica.  These physical therapists use a hands-on approach to move the pelvis and lower back.  They also incorporate stretching and strengthening exercises to stabilize the pelvis.  Occasionally, a tool called traction is used to help relocate the herniated disc.
It is very important not to ignore sciatica and lower back pain.  Altering it will only give you temporary relief.  If you really want to know what your back pain and sciatica is, schedule an appointment with a doctor of physical therapy, who specializes in back pain and sciatica, like myself.

http://laprensasa.com/culture/health/sciatica-understanding-causes-lower-back-pain/