Wednesday, 21 May 2025

Everything You Wanted To Know About Sciatica

From msn.com/en-us

According to a report by the National Center for Health Statistics, nearly 20.5% of the adults in the United States expressed that they were living with chronic pain, with about 7.4% of them experiencing work and life disruptions due to it. And the Health Policy Institute at Georgetown University also found that when it comes to chronic back pain, about 16 million adults are living with the condition. Sciatica is among the different types of low back pain that most people have chronically.

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2020 report by Bloomberg predicted that, based on its trend over the years, the sciatica market may expand due to the rise in new cases of sciatica. It also points out that there will be a higher demand for sciatica interventions such as muscle relaxants, antidepressants, pain relievers, opioids, epidural steroids, and behavioural and physical therapy. This goes to show that sciatica is a growing concern for most people around the world. However, if we're well-versed with the condition in terms of how it comes about, and how we can prevent, treat and manage it in the long term, we can reduce the growing population that gets it.

In this article, we'll take a look at everything you want to know about sciatica — we're hoping the information will help you reduce days off from work and have fewer life disruptions because of it.

Sciatic Nerve Pain Comes In Varying Forms

Sciatic nerve pain expresses itself in varying forms, and so it responds differently when it's addressed. Going by Spine Health, there are times when it becomes intense and weakening to the one who has it — through extended periods or sometimes brief but consistent moments of pain. Two months is usually the average lasting period for the pain. If it goes beyond that, the pain may be chronic sciatica. On the other hand, if it persists for a period under two months, it's classified as acute sciatica. Four types of sciatic nerve pain exist: Bilateral, neurogenic, alternating, and referred sciatica (per Early Bird by Amerisleep).

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Bilateral sciatica is the pain that appears when there's a strain (pinching) on each of the sciatic nerve ends. The pain may affect one leg more than the other, and you feel it not only in your legs but also your backside. Neurogenic sciatica is the type of pain that originates in the spine. When the sciatic nerve stretches, your spine gets unnecessarily stressed — causing sudden excruciating pain in your feet, legs, and back. Alternating sciatica "may be a result of degenerative issues in the sacroiliac joint, the joint connecting the spine to the hips, or sacroiliac arthritis." The pain felt in this type arises from one compressed side of the sciatic nerve but impacts both legs. Lastly, referred sciatica brings pain caused by issues with your joint and muscles. The pain may be less intense but persistent and can be more severe in the back compared to your legs (via Early Bird by Amerisleep).

Factors That Influence Sciatica's Occurrence

Dr. Bonaventure Ngu from the Premier Spine Institute says that there are several aspects that make sciatica more likely to be a problem for you in the near future. One of them is smoking. If you smoke a lot, you increase the nicotine content in your body, which ends up reducing blood flow and causing issues like slow recovery from nerve injuries and a longer-than-normal healing period. Also, people with obesity have higher chances of getting sciatica because the additional weight causes a contracting effect in the sciatic nerve — leading to the condition. If your job also involves carrying strength-requiring objects over and over again, the hustle will slowly create tension in your sciatica nerve and spine, and put you at risk.

Your posture matters a great deal, too. Some postures may keep your spine away from its natural and proper placement, which may cause unevenness and muscle strain — with time, exhaustion and nerve pain follows. Also, people with diabetes may be on the edge of developing sciatica. They experience slow healing and have poor blood flow due to the extreme amounts of blood glucose in their body. Plus, this state puts them at risk of diabetic neuropathy — a common form of nerve impairment for those with diabetes.

First Choice Chiropractic also mentions age, being unhealthy, consistent low back pain issues, sleep-related issues, injuries that affect your bottom and hips (or which hits at the sciatic nerve straightforwardly), and being mentally overwhelmed as other possible factors.

Mild And Extreme Symptoms

Sciatica symptoms often vary from mild common symptoms experienced by people with other general health issues to extreme symptoms unique to sciatica. The affected spinal nerve root (a bundle of fiber that stems from the spinal cord) is what often determines the severity of the symptoms you'll experience — although there's always a possibility that several spinal nerve roots can get pinched all at once (via Spine Health).

Beginning with the mild ones, some noticeable symptoms include a feeling of feebleness in your feet and legs that make taking continuous steps an arduous task, and pain increase or reduction as you change your posture. As for the posture change symptom, if you notice that when you stand or make an attempt to stand, or when you stretch yourself on your bed or couch, you feel more pain or the pain lessens, you may have sciatica. Deep leg pain may also be an indicator of sciatica. The Dynamic Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic notes that, unlike most conditions where the pain shows up mostly where a health problem is, sciatica presents pain that stretches to your leg from the area around your buttocks. If you also feel pain when you lift your leg, you may need to get a test called the Straight Leg Raise to determine if your case is really sciatica.

Some of the extreme sciatica symptoms are losing your reflexes in your ankles and knees, losing sensitivity in your legs (especially your inner calves and some toes), and having frail hips and thighs (per Spine Health).

Sciatica Causes
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According to Harvard Health Publishing, sciatica occurs when there are health issues with some of your nerve roots such as the S1 (located below the L5 nerve root in the lower back), L4 (located above the L5 nerve root) and L5 (located between the L4 and S1 nerve roots). When one of your joints, ligaments, bones, or disc causes friction against your sciatic nerve, some contraction and vexing may happen, which may lead to inflammation. The inflammation then heightens the sensitivity of your nerves and tissues which, in turn, increases sciatica pain. Some known contributors of sciatic nerve contraction and vexing include trauma and herniated disc.

Beginning with trauma, when you get into a car accident or get bruises from your favourite sport or even drop from a high place and land on your lower back, you may affect the sciatic nerve and get sciatica. Herniated discs come from the damage to the spinal disc's content that looks like gel. The content causes a noticeable protrusion on your lower back and may cause tension on a neighbouring nerve which may lead to mixed signals in your brain that eventually bring about sciatica. Health Harvard Publishing further mentions pregnancy, spinal stenosis (the restriction of the canal that preserves your spinal cord), and spondylolisthesis (the unintentional sliding of one spinal bone on top of the one above it) as other possible causes. Spinal tumours and piriformis syndrome may also bring about sciatica (via Ortho Bethesda).

Sciatica And Pregnancy
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When you're pregnant, lower back pain is among the many complications you experience. And sciatic nerve pain is one of the contributors. The pain comes about from spinal contraction caused by the different pregnancy-related changes that happen in your body. Firstly, relaxin — a hormone that makes the ligaments less tense and also adjusts the pelvis for a smoother delivery — gets released in your body during pregnancy. Secondly, as the pregnancy advances the size of the baby increases, and both the size increase and less firm ligaments can change your gravity's centre and put your sciatic nerve under pressure, causing sciatica (per WebMD).

Sciatica-related pain occurs anywhere along the pregnancy period, although most women feel it around the 28th week. Some of the symptoms people experience include problems when you sit, walk or stand, short-lived (and sometimes persistent) pain in one leg especially from the foot to the hip, feeling like you generally lack strength, losing sensations, and having pain pricks. When you notice these symptoms, you should seek immediate medical attention from the doctor who's helping you through your pregnancy. Some of the solutions your doctor may advise you to use include prenatal massage, physical therapy, or chiropractic therapy. Gentle stretches including the seated piriformis stretch, the pigeon pose, foam rolling (for hamstrings and glutes) and the hip flexor stretch can really help (via Healthline). RMC Health System also mentions the child's pose as part of prenatal yoga for this kind of pain.

The Diagnosis

When you finally decide to go for a medical check-up, the first step you'll have to take is consultation. Here, you're going to discuss your concerns with a spine expert and they'll ask you several questions to understand your situation and also get to know your medical history (per Spine Universe). Dr. Jean-Jacques Abitbol says some of the questions to expect include where your pain pops up the most, your activities in the last few days or weeks, when you began feeling the pain, how severe you feel the pain is, things you do that increase or lessen the pain, and the interventions you've used to handle it in the past. 

Complete Orthopedics also adds that your doctor will want to know if you've lost your bladder or bowel control and if you can sense tissue paper when it touches your backside.

After the consultation, you'll do a series of tests that help determine for sure if you have sciatica. Some of the tests include imaging tests like a discogram (that reveals any issues with your intervertebral disc) and an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) that provides the doctor a clear view of your sciatic nerve and nerve roots, along with any herniated discs, tumours, and inflammations around that area. Other tests you may do are the slump test and the straight leg raise test. Both of these tests include raising your legs while in different positions to check for pain and sensation alteration as you move, which may show the possibility of sciatica (via Spine Health).

Sciatica Treatment Methods

Once the diagnosis is complete and sciatica is there, the next step is to begin treatment. Your doctor may recommend different treatment options based on your case. There are several non-surgical options you can explore if surgery is not on the table. One of them is using medication — you might be prescribed drugs that reduce inflammation and release tension in the muscles. For short-term pain alleviation, medications such as Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs — for example naproxen and aspirin) or Acetaminophen are good selections. Although not all the time, medications that deal with seizures or depression may be viable options as well (per WebMD).

Southern Pain and Neurological also recommends cold-heat therapy (using ice packs on the source of pain and following that up with hot objects if the pain persists), and nerve blocks together with radio-frequency (using nerve blocks to understand how your pain works, and then using radio frequency to neutralize the pain in the long term) and epidural steroid injections (administering local anaesthesia and steroid drugs straight into the area around the spinal cord and nerve roots).

Illinois Bone & Joint Institute also says the more passive treatment Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation — which uses low electric voltage to target sciatica pain — can be useful in handling sciatica. This intervention enhances the production of endorphins, which are natural pain relievers in your body to handle the pain.

Surgery For Sciatica

WebMD explains that surgery is a less common approach for most people with sciatica. A handful of people who may have to consider this option include those who have been on the previously mentioned non-surgical treatments and didn't get any effective results after about 90 days — or those who, during diagnosis, mentioned issues with their bladder and bowel regulation. Disc Sports & Spine Center also states that if the sciatica is causing major interruptions in your work, social and personal life, your doctor may tell you to consider surgery. Also, if the feebleness and sensation loss symptoms are recurring and getting worse by the day, the most preferred treatment may be surgery.

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To treat sciatica, you can have one of two surgical procedures: laminectomy and discectomy. In a laminectomy, you receive general anaesthesia, followed by a two-hour procedure where the surgeon takes away the lamina (a section of the bone ring surrounding your spinal cord) and neighbouring tissues which are responsible for the tension and pain in your sciatic nerve. This procedure may require you to take some time before you can continue walking as usual. Discectomy, unlike laminectomy (which is more focused), targets anything including a bone spur that's bringing tension to your sciatic nerve. You'll get general anaesthesia and (possibly) return home the same day as your discectomy surgery (via WebMD).

Complementary Remedies

Some of the reliable complementary remedies that can help ease the pain that comes with sciatica include chiropractic treatment combined with massage and physical therapy, explains Southern Pain and Neurological. When it comes to chiropractic treatment, the intervention can improve how your spine moves by slightly tweaking it. If you still have tight muscles after that, a follow-up massage can help relax the tense muscles. Physical therapy, on the other hand, can be useful alongside physical exercises in addressing the root cause of sciatica, keeping sudden pain intensification at bay, and dealing with the symptoms. It makes the tissues in your backside, abdomen, lower back, and pelvis stronger and more flexible. Illinois Bone & Joint Institute suggests strength training, aerobics, and stretching as some of the recommended physical exercises that accompany physical therapy.

Another effective complementary option is yoga. This ancient practice seeks to bring your body, spirit, and mind together to work in oneness. Several types of yoga approach this goal through different techniques. Some of them include Hatha yoga (which works with controlled force), Kripalu yoga (which uses compassion, meditation, physical healing, and acceptance), Power yoga (which uses fitness techniques that resemble aerobic exercises), and Vinyasa yoga (which combines poses with breath). Some of the commonly used yoga poses and stretches that help with sciatica are the basic seated stretch, scissor hamstring stretch, sitting spinal stretch, standing hamstring stretch, knee-to-opposite shoulder, and the forward, reclining, and sitting pigeon poses (per Healthline).

The Advancement Of Sciatic Pain And Later Complications

When you receive quick and proper treatment, sciatica may completely disappear in about a month or a month and a half. Those people who don't seek treatment risk suffering long-lasting pain as sciatica may be originating from a serious nerve root impairment. Aside from the pain, other complications that may develop along the way include muscle atrophy (muscle mass thinning or loss) in the leg experiencing pain, and having walking problems. Hyperalgesia — the condition where you experience heightened pain sensitivity which makes normal pain feel twice as severe as it should — is another likelihood (via Painscale).

In extreme cases, you may get irreversible nerve impairment. This normally occurs when the cause of the tension in your sciatic nerve becomes more intense over time or if the nerve contraction stays for long periods. The after-effects of this damage may include responding poorly to sciatica interventions and the pain becoming even more intense. Moreover, you may lose control of your bladder and bowels permanently. This problem begins as a regular symptom but becomes permanent if you don't get treated immediately. Additionally, your motor control can be impacted too. When your sciatica advances, the nerves develop more problems and end up entirely affecting how your muscles and signals of pain operate on the affected area (per Westside Pain Specialists). 

Painscale also explains that advanced sciatica may cause cauda equina syndrome which is "compression of a collection of nerve roots" and bring about other issues like paralysis in the lower side of your body, sexual dysfunction, and even losing sensations in your private parts, thighs or backside.

Prevention And Management
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Preventing and managing sciatica takes the same shape and form. A series of affordable and easy-to-work-with tips can help keep sciatica nerve pain away and also keep it under control (if you already have it). The Center for Spine & Orthopedics advises you to mind your posture every time, make sure that when picking up massive objects from the ground you keep your knees bent, and engaging in physical exercises often.

Some of the exercises you should consider adding to your daily routine include the back flexion stretch, sciatica stretch, sitting spinal stretch, reclining pigeon stretch, and hamstring stretch. And as you go to sleep, you can also engage in some of these stretches and then have a warm bath afterward. Also, a firm and comfy mattress can help vastly cut down the pain you normally feel as you sleep (via Spine & Pain Clinics of North America).

Harvard Health Publishing states that keeping tabs on your weight can also go a long way in managing sciatica. Excess weight in your body can make your spine become overwhelmed and increase the possibility of herniated discs. And if you have sciatica and obesity, your recovery journey for sciatica may be longer than it should. Also, if your daily routine involves extended sitting periods, you should consider workarounds — for example, working at standing desks and having regular breaks in order to stretch and walk. These simple changes can help you reduce the stress on ligaments and discs in your lower back that come from sitting for an extended period.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-sciatica/ss-AA1F3L6f

Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Is Hip Pain the New Frozen Shoulder?

From oprahdaily.com

Just when you thought you were done with physical therapy, a hot new menopause symptom has hit the scene 

There was a time in life—let us call it “youth”—when each time we had a pain, we knew what caused it. Twisted a knee in yoga class. Sprained an elbow playing tennis. Shin splints from dancing all night.

Then comes midlife, when all of a sudden you can’t lift your arm thanks to frozen shoulder. Or you roll over in bed, and searing hip pain jolts you awake.

“I definitely see hip pain in women over 40,” says Jessica Tomazic, MD, a sports and exercise medicine staff physician at Cleveland Clinic. In most cases, it can be treated with medication and physical therapy. But diagnosis can be difficult, since one type of hip pain can masquerade as another. Just ask Joseph Conger (also known as Dr. Joe), a doctor of physical therapy and owner and director of Flying Root Physio in New York City. Shortly after his office reopened post-pandemic, he had a patient come in with pain that seemed like classic sciatica. “She felt the pain in the back part of her hip, and then radiating down the leg—a burning sensation, kind of unrelenting difficulty sitting, walking,” he recalls.

"The pain is kind of unrelenting. It can be like you can’t get comfortable, pain sleeping at night, and without real relief"

He treated her for sciatica, but the pain persisted, so he sent her to an orthopedist, who also diagnosed her with sciatica. One MRI, three months of physical therapy, and two courses of steroids later, she felt no better. So Conger and the orthopedist tapped a third expert, a physiatrist specializing in differential diagnosis, who finally suggested the pain might be gluteal tendinopathy—where the tendon tissue in your hips and butt starts to deteriorate or becomes inflamed. After six weeks of a new physical therapy regimen, the woman’s pain was gone.

That was the first time Conger saw a patient with gluteal tendinopathy. Since then, he’s treated several more women in menopause for it, and recently, patients have started to come in asking about the condition. “Either their friend group is talking, or it’s in their social media algorithms, but they’re hearing it in the fray and asking me to help,” he says.

If you’re wondering if your surly hip pain is the hot new menopause symptom everyone’s talking about, we’ve got the answers.

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What’s that pain in my ass?

Dr. Tomazic says she sees three very common types of hip pain in women going through menopause:

  • Arthritis is a painful swelling of the joints, which becomes more common with age. (It’s often hereditary—if your mom had it, you might get it too.)
  • Sciatica is a pinched nerve (the sciatic nerve being the longest in the body). It can be caused by arthritis in the back, a herniated spinal disc, or narrowing of the spine (spinal stenosis), among other conditions.
  • Gluteal tendinopathy is an umbrella term for degenerative changes in the gluteal tendons, which can lead to muscle weakness and pain in those areas.

A number of other, less common issues, like bursitis and hamstring strains, can also cause hip pain.

The kind of pain you feel can clue you in to a potential cause. “With arthritis, people often tell me they have groin pain or posterior pain deep in the hip,” says Dr. Tomazic. “With gluteal tendinopathy, people will feel it in the side of the hip and might notice it’s very painful to walk up stairs.” In the case of sciatica, the pain can radiate all the way down the leg and potentially cause numbness or tingling, she says.

But don’t DIY diagnose based on pain alone, as many symptoms overlap. “The pain is kind of unrelenting,” says Conger. “It can be like you can’t get comfortable, pain sleeping at night, and without real relief.” If the pain has gotten to the point where you’re turning to Google to investigate it, book an appointment with your primary care physician, says Dr. Tomazic. “If it’s severe pain, see somebody right away, because it could be a fracture.”

Conger also cautions against stretching at home for relief, because it might do more harm than good. “In the early stages of gluteal tendinopathy, the glute and the hip may feel sore and achy, and then you work out, and as the hip region gets warm, the soreness and pain might go away,” he says as an example. “People may think, Oh, I feel better when I exercise, but the more we continue to do the exercise and movement, it will only continue to worsen over time.”

The smart thing to do is seek out a diagnosis and follow the prescribed physical therapy program. For example, Conger says he would treat sciatica with self-massage and stretching exercises to release the pinched nerve, but he’d address gluteal tendinopathy with specific exercises designed to strengthen, rehabilitate, and increase blood flow to the weakened tendon.

Once you have a diagnosis, Dr. Tomazic recommends the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ public-facing resource site, OrthoInfo, for additional information on exercises or treatments for your particular condition.

Tell me more about this gluteal tendinopathy.

For many people, Grandma had arthritis, and Mom may have had sciatica, but gluteal tendinopathy is likely a new term. “Tendinopathy can be related to overuse and overworking that triggers the tendon to start to break down,” says Conger. “So when the muscle gets overused, the tendon, which attaches the muscle to the bone, starts to get irritated because it can’t handle the amount of work applied to it.” He adds, “In other cases, the muscle is weak, so any effort—like the stress of walking stairs, or any amount of exercise—causes the tendon to overwork and then be inflamed.”

Men can get gluteal tendinopathy, but “I see more women in the clinic,” says Dr. Tomazic. Data suggests that four times as many women suffer from the condition as men. As for the menopause connection, “there may be an association between changes in hormones and tendon health,” she says. Estrogen—which drops in perimenopause and menopause—is believed to help keep tendons healthy. But as with so many menopause-related issues, this connection hasn’t been studied enough yet to prove a definitive link between menopause and gluteal tendinopathy.

How can I avoid hip pain altogether?

Just as physical therapy can help treat gluteal tendinopathy (and other types of hip pain), the right kind of movement can help prevent it too. Dr. Tomazic recommends strength training. “Building muscle is probably the most important thing you can do,” she says, and that includes your core. “A stronger core can help reduce undue stress on other areas of the lower legs or the lower extremities,” she adds. That will help you walk normally to prevent hip strain and pain, while maintaining posture to prevent back pain, she explains.

Mix up your workouts too. “The best preventative advice that I can give is that the body likes variety,” says Conger. “I never like to hear from a patient that all they do is yoga or all they do is pickleball.” Alternate between cardio and strength training as well. Finally, good nutrition is key. Dr. Tomazic advocates a diet high in protein, fruits, and vegetables and low in processed foods. “There’s some thought that collagen supplements can be helpful for soft tissues like tendons,” she says. “The jury’s still out on their total benefit, but they’re pretty low-risk.” In other words, if you’re willing to shell out some extra bucks, a collagen supplement can’t hurt.

Of course, if you’re eating and moving right, you’re setting your body up for success in multiple arenas. It’s a way to put your best foot forward as you age, not just your hip.

https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/health/a64675107/menopause-hip-pain/ 

Wednesday, 7 May 2025

Acupuncture is the #1 natural treatment for sciatica pain

From philaacupuncture.com

Treatments for sciatica may include painkillers, home remedies, acupuncture, and professional types of care. Effective, lasting relief of sciatica and sciatica-like symptoms typically does not require surgery, although surgical intervention may be the best option in a few cases. It should be kept in mind that no treatment for sciatica pain can be relied upon as a permanent cure. Long-term management of the underlying causes of a person’s sciatica symptoms is usually needed to prevent sciatica from recurring and worsening as time goes on.

 

Sciatica Treatment

Listed below are the available options for the treatment of sciatica pain.

Medications for Treatment of Sciatica Pain

  • The first line of treatment for sciatica nerve pain is often medication, whether prescription or non-prescription. Among the most popular medications are pain relievers, muscle relaxants, and steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The most commonly used medicines for sciatica treatment may produce side effects that can be difficult for some people to tolerate. They usually fail to provide complete relief from symptoms.

Spinal injections

  • The next line of treatment for sciatica nerve pain is often spinal injections, usually done with some steroid medication. Injections decrease swelling from inflammation around the nerves and diminish pressure and irritation. When inflammatory swelling and pressure irritate a nerve, injections may work well. However, if a bone spur, a herniated disc, or something else irritates the nerve, they might not work. Most doctors will limit the number of steroid injections for a given patient because, when overused, steroid injections may cause relatively severe side effects.

Physical Therapy Treatment for Sciatica Pain

  • Physical therapy treatments for sciatica may include ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation, other passive therapies, and active rehabilitation exercises. In the early stages of care, passive therapies ease symptoms. In contrast, rehabilitative exercise is used later to correct underlying structural imbalances and distortions that would otherwise lead to recurrences of sciatica.

Surgical treatment for sciatica

  • Surgical sciatica pain treatment should only be considered a last option when everything else has failed. The vast majority of sciatica sufferers can recover without surgery. Surgical intervention may be the only way to get long-term relief from sciatica symptoms in cases of severe disc herniation or rupture, severe degenerative spinal arthritis, or when a cyst or tumour is putting pressure on one or more of the nerve roots that make up the sciatic nerve. Note that surgery is not a reliable permanent cure for sciatica.

In the long run, natural remedies for sciatica, like acupuncture, home remedies, and daily exercises, are the best treatments for sciatica and typically provide better overall results than other forms of therapy for sciatica pain.

If you feel pain in your lower-middle back when you bend or stretch, radiating down to your legs, you might be experiencing sciatica.

What is sciatica?

Sciatica is a pain manifestation resulting from irritation of the sciatic nerve. The pain usually begins in the lower back and may extend down to the calf and foot, depending on the affected nerve root. Sciatica is not a disorder but a symptom resulting from another medical condition. In most cases, a herniated disc is the cause of sciatica. Any factor that directly inflicts irritation and inflammation on the sciatic nerve produces sciatica symptoms.

nerve-pain

The sciatic nerve is the largest in the body. Its nerve roots run from the lumbar spinal cord at the lower back, extending through the buttocks, hips, and lower limbs. When this nerve becomes inflamed or irritated, it produces pain that resembles a leg cramp. It makes neither sitting nor standing difficult due to the intensity of pain it inflicts. Typically, the pain is aggravated when sitting, sneezing, or coughing. Pain in acute sciatica usually lasts four to eight weeks and diminishes independently, depending on the causative agent.

Sciatica symptoms

These symptoms of sciatica are usually only on one side and maybe one of, or a combination of:

  • Pain that runs from the lower back down the back of the leg or buttock can vary from a mild ache to a sharp, burning, or shooting pain that can become debilitating.
  • Pain that is worse when sitting
  • You may experience numbness, tingling, or weakness in the affected leg.
  • Coughing or sneezing can make the pain worse.
  • It is a sharp pain that can make it difficult to walk.

 

Facts about Sciatica

The sciatic nerve is the largest in the body and is about the diameter of your thumb. It runs from the lower back down your leg, and being the biggest, it is also the longest nerve in the body. It is derived from the spinal nerves that exit the spine from L4 to S3, joining together.

Sciatica symptoms occur when the nerve roots that form the sciatica nerve are compressed or irritated in the lumbar spine. This is what people classically think of as a ‘pinched’ nerve. It is not usually the result of a single injury but an accumulation over time.

Most cases of sciatica will go away over time. However, you should seek urgent medical attention if the pain has a sudden onset, is the result of a bad injury such as a car accident, is not getting better after a week, or if you ever have trouble controlling your bowel or bladder.

Sciatica causes

Interestingly, sciatica is not a specific condition; it is simply a catch of all medical terms applied to a constellation of symptoms to describe a state the back pain sufferer is in. In this case, sciatica describes a patient’s complaint of pain radiating across the buttocks, down the leg, and into the feet and toes, along with the associated tingling or numbness.

 

 causes

Some conditions can cause sciatica, ranging from stress and trauma at a particular location on the spine, the lower back, or lumbar curvature to a more widespread disorder like obesity or pregnancy. Several other conditions are associated with sciatica, requiring varying degrees of medical intervention and treatment. Some of the conditions likely to present with sciatica are:

  • Osteomyelitis is an infection of the bone or bone marrow. Osteomyelitis may be debilitating and, in extreme cases, may even cause death. It is difficult to diagnose and may go undetected for a long time unless appropriate tests are ordered and your medical practitioner is well-trained in infectious diseases affecting the bones.
  • Tumours on or near the spine can affect the nerves or nerve roots as they leave the spinal canal and intervertebral foramen, leading to sciatic nerve pain, also known as sciatica.
  • Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the spinal canal and intervertebral foramen. Any narrowing of a structure can be defined broadly as stenosis. The stenosis and the narrowing affect or obstruct the pathway for nerves, thus exacerbating pain—in this case, creating the sciatic nerve pain associated with sciatica.
  • Trauma: Trauma and stress go hand in hand regarding back pain and sciatica. Trauma may be localized, meaning the spine will take the brunt of the pressure at a specific location, or it may be generalized and affect several levels simultaneously. The better equipped we are in terms of muscle strength, muscle balance (or imbalance), and the other factors affecting spine health, the better equipped we will be to handle appropriate stress levels. The IVDs are remarkably resilient and very strong, but if the discs change due to any of the factors listed above or if the traumatic event is profound enough, damage to the spine may occur, and sciatica may be the outcome. In this case, a medical practitioner should always be the first step in any bad back treatment strategy.

In reality, any of the factors above, or several conditions mentioned, may cause sciatica. Sciatica is, once again, the presentation of a specific type of pain. The actual condition causing the sciatic nerve pain may be any of the above or several other conditions not discussed here; these are some of the main ones.

Sciatica pain is a medical condition with associated symptoms of pain along the leg and hip, affecting one side of the body. Sciatica pains may result from spinal compression bone spurs on the spine of a herniated disc. The pain experienced may come in the form of aching, shooting, or burning pain, which could be a combination of these pains.

Sciatica pain has some risk factors that can be avoided, while others cannot be avoided. Factors such as age, back injuries, spinal tumours, back strain due to pregnancy, and diabetic nerve damage are not preventable risk factors.

Sciatica pain sufferers tend to live with the condition undiagnosed for months and sometimes years in mild cases, assuming it to be normal cramping. Some of the possible signs experienced by sufferers include the following:

  • Burning, searing, or tingling pain down the leg
  • Pain gets worse while sitting, and it is felt in the buttocks or leg
  • Pain in one side of the buttocks
  • Difficulty in moving the leg or foot and also difficulty in standing

Sciatic nerve pain results from structural impingement or sciatic nerve compression in the body’s lower back. This occurs due to long-term degeneration of the lumbar area or an injury to the lower back. The location where the pain is felt depends on where the compressed sciatic nerve is located. Sciatica pain can be a result of any of these conditions.

  •    Lumbar spinal stenosis
  •    Degenerative disc disease
  •    Pregnancy
  •    Herniated lumbar disc
  •    Spondylolisthesis

Natural remedies for sciatica

Natural remedies for sciatica pain can be very beneficial, but do not forget to include a good diet and regular exercise. It would be best to remember that you aim to improve your overall health. If you want to avoid having this problem occur again in the future, you may want to sleep on a firm mattress. Always sit and stand in good posture, and avoid lifting heavy objects as much as possible. Small things cause sciatica pain in the long run, so make this a part of your everyday routine.

 home remedies


Listed below are natural remedies for sciatica

Home remedies for sciatica: the most popular natural treatment for sciatica

Assuming that you have sciatic back pain and are confident you have nothing profound to be anxious about, the following suggestions may help you deal with your sciatica with fast home treatment. Listed below is a home treatment for sciatica

Back exercises

  • Back exercise is a treatment for sciatica at home that is very effective; however, engaging in physical activity while your back or legs hurt may go against your instincts. Low-impact exercises like water aerobics, stationary biking, and yoga can reduce symptom severity and strengthen your back to prevent future issues. Stronger back muscles also help support the spine and alleviate pressure on spinal nerves, which can reduce the frequency and intensity of sciatica episodes.

Exercises

Stretching

  • Stretching exercises are another home treatment for sciatica. They are physical activities that may alleviate sciatica symptoms. Stretching should be performed slowly and gently; stop immediately if you notice any pain. You may try pulling your knees up to your chest, a seated hip stretch, or a seated spinal twist. The purpose of these stretches is to loosen the buttocks, hamstrings, and calves, which can exert pressure on the sciatic nerve.

Heat and cold therapy

  • Ice and heat are home remedies for sciatica that can alleviate many of the symptoms that accompany sciatica and accelerate the healing process. Applying ice for 15 minutes can numb the affected area, while heat increases blood flow and improves healing. These applications can also reduce muscle spasms, common among sciatica patients.

Sit up straight

  • If you work at a desk or in a bent position for much of the day, pay close attention to your posture. It would be best to sit with your head aligned with your hips. It would also help if you took frequent breaks from sitting to relieve strain on your spine.

Massage is an essential natural treatment for sciatica pain

 

Sciatica massage

Deeper massages or trigger point therapies are natural remedies for sciatica that have successfully treated muscle spasms, pain, and numbness in the legs and toes. Herbal oils and essential oils also give good results. Massage is also one of the best treatments for sciatica pain.

Herbs and Oils are popular natural treatments for sciatica

Herbs and oils are natural remedies for sciatica that have beneficial effects, and many of them can help relieve pain and reduce inflammation. They can be found in capsules, ointments, salves, and infused oils. You can also make tea from fresh or dried herbs or use elixirs, tinctures, and essential oils for pain relief.

Listed below are herbs for sciatica

Celery Juice

  • You can try blending celery and making juice out of it. You can also add carrots to the mixture. This can provide immediate relief.

Elderberry Tea

  • When taken in tea, this herbal remedy can stimulate the muscles and help them relax, which in turn helps reduce inflammation.

Garlic

  • Garlic is one of the herbal treatments for sciatica pain. It contains vitamins B1 and B-complex, which significantly reduce pain and aches. Garlic also improves blood circulation to prevent blood clotting.

Acupuncture for sciatica is the #1 natural treatment for sciatica pain

This alternative treatment involves inserting hair-fine needles at specific points on the body. Acupuncture for sciatica boosts energy flow and contributes to proper nerve function. After the first treatment, you should feel some relief, but many people would benefit from a few sessions.

Acupuncture for sciatica

Sciatica Acupuncture is a natural remedy for sciatica that serves as one of the best treatments with no side effects once you are done with the sessions. Acupuncture for sciatica has been proven to be more effective than most treatments for sciatica.

Acupuncture for Sciatica Nerve aims at the specific sciatic nerve to control muscle relaxation and blood flow regulation along the passageway of the pain in the leg. Acupuncture for sciatica relieves pain and reduces inflammation at the same time.

The typical treatment for sciatica pain includes epidural steroid and painkiller injections, hot or cold therapy, and surgery to correct structural defects in the lower back.

Alternatively, acupuncture for sciatica, a practice developed from traditional Chinese medicine, offers a gentle and safer treatment for sciatic pain, as it is most practical with general pain management.

How acupuncture treatment for sciatica works for Pain Relief

Acupuncture for sciatica involves inserting tiny needles into specific points called acupuncture points on the body’s surface. This insertion triggers a particular reaction in the nervous system, which is transmitted to the brain. Due to this reaction, the brain releases natural painkillers such as endorphins and encephalin. There is also increased blood flow into the body part where the pain is experienced, bringing relaxation to the surrounding area.

Acupuncture for sciatica

Role of Acupuncture in the Natural Treatment of Sciatica Pain

Though it cannot correct or heal structural defects in the lower back that cause sciatica pain, acupuncture is an effective treatment for pain management. Patients who receive acupuncture for sciatica experience significant improvement in their condition and relief from their severe pain.

Acupuncture points for sciatica treatment

The acupuncture for sciatica procedure includes inserting needles into the wrist/forearm and lower calf/ankle areas, where the acupuncture points for pain management are located. These needles will increase blood flow and bring relaxation to the muscles of the affected area, the lumbar vertebrae, and the pathway of the pain in the leg.

Some of the primary acupuncture points for sciatica are:

  • Zhibia BL54,
  • Dachangshu BL25,
  • Weizhong BL40,
  • Chengfu BL36,
  • Fengshi GB31,
  • Chengsha BL57,
  • Ashi, Huantia GB30
  • Yaoyangguan DU3.

Xuehai (SP10) and Taichong (LV3) are additional acupuncture points for sciatica, where needles are inserted to treat Qi stagnation and blood stasis. Shenshu (BL23) and Taixi (KD3) are also added for liver and kidney deficiency. Yanglingquan (GB34) is added for cold and damp stasis.

Conclusion on natural treatment for sciatica pain

Sciatica is a painful condition that requires urgent medical attention. It can be bothersome and impact the sufferer’s daily life. Whether the experience is mild or chronic, seeking help from a qualified acupuncturist is essential. Lots of research has proven the effectiveness of acupuncture for sciatica. The best way out is to go for acupuncture treatment to improve your mobility and quality of life by managing your pain effectively.

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