Sciatic Nerve
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Sciatica also called sciatic neuritis is a name given to a certain set of symptoms of discomfort and pain associated with any one of the 5 nerve roots, or the nerve itself. The pain is usually felt within the lower back , proceeding all the way down to the left/right foot. It is most often the result of compression or damage to the sciatic nerve itself. Usually the symptoms are only felt on one side of the body.
They can range from muscle cramps, pains, pins and needles, and weakness in the local area. The term sciatica is often misused and misunderstood. Many people think this is actually the name of the nerve, but its actual name is the sciatic nerve. Sciatica is group of symptoms with the nerve, rather than a diagnosis of the nerve itself.
Recognizing this point is essential as treatment options for both are different depending on the problems. The main cause of sciatica is related to compression of the L4 and or L5 lumbar nerves. It can also be cause by compression of the S1, S2, and S3 sacral nerves. Or in rare cases direct compression of the sciatic nerve itself. Getting sciatica pain relief is a bit difficult due to the nature of the problem.
In 90 percent of most cases minor irritations or compressions will resolve themselves without outside intervention. If the pain is too much to bear you can take pain relievers, or invest in alternate pain relief methods. If the pain becomes unbearable and you need treatment there are surgeries available. However there is a 50 percent chance that the pain will come back in two years.
There are two major methods of sciatica pain relief surgery that are currently used. The first one is called Intradiscal Electrothermoplasty or IDET for short. This is where a needle is inserted into the affected disc guided via x-ray. The surgeon will then run a wire through the needle and into the disc. The wire is then heated to destroy the nerves that are invading the degenerating disc. This also triggers the body to create reinforcement proteins that will strengthen the disc.
The second option is called Radiofrequency Discal Nucleoplasty also known as Coblation Nucleoplasty. It starts with the same procedure as the above method except that it does not heat a wire to destroy the offending nerves. The needle in this case has a special probe that emits a small focused plasma field that vaporizes part of the nucleus of the disk. This allows the disc to decompress slightly and relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve.
I know this last method sounds like something out of science fiction, but it is a real, tested, and verified technique. It has advantages over the first technique in that it doesn’t destroy nerve endings, but rather relives tension, and pressure. This leads to better pain relief in the long run. This type of surgery also does not need to be repeated in most cases.
There are also a variety of other sciatic nerve based problems that can afflict people. One such problem is a spinal disc herniation. This is where a herniated disc presses against the root of the sciatic nerve and causes moderate to intense pain and discomfort. Your spinal discs are composed of a thick spongy form of cartilage; the disks are separated by vertebrae that allow the nerves to pass through. These discs cushion the spine from compressive force, but they do not handle rotational forces very well.
This is why it’s so easy to herniate a disc when turning rather than falling from a distance. Getting sciatica pain relief for this type of injury usually requires pain relievers. Though if the tear in the disc heals, and the inflammation subsides it will go away on its own. Another form of sciatic nerve pain can be caused by spinal tumors, in this case a person can also suffer lose of bowel control, and severe muscle weakness.
The sciatic nerve can also be damaged or inflamed if you are in a car accident. Car accidents usually end up resulting in sciatica in one form or another. Surgery can be helpful, but is not required in this case. Physical therapy after the injury has healed will yield the best long term sciatica pain relief in these cases.
Sciatica can also be experienced by pregnant women in the later stages of their pregnancy. As the babies size and weight increases additional pressure is put on the back sometimes resulting in sciatic nerve pain. After childbirth the strain is relieved and the pain will subside within a few days. You can also experience sciatica from a number of other methods, including self inflicted.
The self inflicted form is not done intentionally a many people do not realize they are hurting themselves. Long periods of sitting on a wallet in your pants pocket, or sitting on your legs for a long time can cause back pain of this type. There are also cases of work related sciatica for people that use a lot of heavy belt tools, and require heavy lifting. So as you can see there are many ways the sciatic nerve can be damaged, or irritated. In most cases doctors will prescribe something for sciatica pain relief.
Then they will give you a plan to follow and ask you to keep them updated. If after six weeks your condition has not improved then they will run additional tests and scans to determine if you have a severe injury. Don’t get angry with your doctor however if it takes a while to nail down the problem. There are so many back conditions that can lead to or cause sciatica, and sciatic nerve damage that it’s almost overwhelming for them to diagnose. So just be patient with them, let them do their job, and avoid any lifting while suffering from this condition.
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