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Sciatica |
Available therapies |
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Sciatic pain (often
called Sciatica) is inflammation or compression of the sciatic nerve;
this is the largest nerve
in the body formed from spinal cord segments L4 to S3. The sciatic
nerve runs all the way down the leg.
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Common
causes of sciatica include:
- Piriformis
syndrome—The
sciatic nerve can get irritated as it runs under or through the
piriformis muscle. .
- Sacroiliac
joint dysfunction—Irritation
of the sacroiliac joint can also irritate the L5 nerve, which
lies on top of it, and cause sciatica-type of pain.
- Lumbar
herniated disc—A
herniated disc occurs when the soft inner core of the disc
extrudes through the fibrous outer core this places pressure on
the nerve root as it exits the spine; this is sometimes referred
to as a slipped or ruptured disc, or a pinched nerve.
- Lumbar
spinal stenosis—This
condition involves a narrowing of the spinal canal. It is more
common in adults over age 60, and typically results from
enlarged facet joints placing pressure on the nerve roots as
they leave the spine.
- Degenerative
disc disease—While
disc degeneration is a natural process that occurs with aging,
in some cases it can also lead to pain along the sciatic nerve.
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Symptoms
of sciatica may vary depending on where the nerve is compressed,
they can include:
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Usually,
sciatica only affects one side of the lower body
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The pain often radiates from
the lower back all the way through the back of the thigh and
down through the leg.
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The pain may also radiate to
the foot or toes.
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Pain in the rear or leg that is
worse when sitting
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Burning or tingling down the
leg
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Weakness, numbness or
difficulty moving the leg or foot
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A constant pain on one side of
the buttocks
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A shooting pain that makes it
difficult to stand up
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Conventional treatments for sciatica
include:
Manual treatments – aimed
at helping to reduce the pressure
physical therapy
osteopathic or chiropractic treatments
Drug treatments – for pain relief and to reduce inflammation
NSAID’s
oral steroids
epidural steroid injections
Surgery – used for severe cases if manual and drug therapies have been ineffective
to relieve pain and inflammation
microdiscectomy
lumbar
laminectomy
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Complementary
Treatments for sciatica include:
- Neuro-skeletal
Re-alignment – encourage
spins and joints to align at their optimum level reducing stress
on muscles, joints and nerves
- Massage
– this is especially effective if the cause of the sciatica is
muscle spasm
- Acupuncture
–
used to relieve pain
- Alexander
Technique –
may assist the patient to improve posture and help to prevent
further occurrences
- Exercise
(i.e. Pilates)–
help to strengthen core body muscles
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Useful
Links about Sciatica
http://www.sciatica.org/
http://www.spine-health.com/topics/cd/d_sciatica/sc01.html
http://www.sciaticaclinic.com/
There
are several sites that give exercises to help prevent and treat
Sciatica but remember it’s important to check with your doctor
before starting to do exercises.
http://www.spine-health.com/topics/conserv/sciaex/sciaex01.html
http://www.ucheepines.org/sciatica.htm
http://www.ctds.info/sciatica-exercises.html
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