If you've ever experienced sciatica, then you know how painful it can be.
The pain can become so terrible that you find it difficult to get out of bed, you are unable to walk, and moving becomes torture.
I know, because I've experienced it myself.
And I just wanted to get rid of the pain, to get my life back.
So how do you get relief from sciatica? It's important to understand what sciatica is, what causes it, and then we'll talk about how to relieve its symptoms.
Sciatica Information First of all, you should understand that sciatica is not a disease or a medical condition.
It is actually a symptom caused by an underlying problem that usually involves the sciatic nerve.
Sciatica, also known as sciatic nerve pain, is a pain that typically starts on your lower back and radiates down to your hip, thigh and to the back of your leg.
Other symptoms associated with sciatica include numbness, weakness and tingling in the leg.
The pain can be a mild ache or a sharp, burning sensation - sometimes the pain is so severe that the person finds difficulty initiating movement.
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body.
It begins in our spine and ends at the back of each leg.
The sciatic nerve is what controls the muscles of our lower leg and the back of our knees.
It is also what gives sensation to the back of our thigh, our lower leg and the sole of our foot.
There are many different causes of sciatica.
The medical practitioner needs to identify what is causing the symptoms and treat the problem before you can obtain relief from sciatica.
Some of the common causes of sciatica include: • Herniated disc • Spinal stenosis • Degenerative disc disease • Pelvic injury or fracture • Tumors For diagnosis, the medical practitioner typically conducts a complete physical examination and a neuromuscular examination of the legs.
He will look for abnormal reflexes, pain when the leg is lifted, and difficulty bending the foot down.
Other procedures he may order include blood tests, x-rays, a CT scan and an MRI.
Getting Relief from Sciatica To get relief from sciatica, the medical condition must be identified and treated.
There are times when no treatment is required, and the person recovers from sciatica after a few days or weeks.
In many cases, conservative and non-invasive treatments can typically do the trick.
To reduce inflammation and pain, some of the things you are advised to do are: 1.
Apply heat or ice on the area where the pain occurs 2.
Use over-the-counter pain medications such as Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen to relieve the pain and inflammation 3.
Do stretching and bending exercises 4.
Undergo physical therapy Usually, when the underlying condition is identified and treated appropriately, a full recovery for the person suffering from sciatica is possible.
There are times though when medications and medical procedures just aren't enough to get relief from sciatica, that people are turning to alternative forms of treatment to stop their suffering.
Alternative medicine, acupuncture, chiropractic treatments...
these are just some of the things that people turn to relieve their sciatica.
Anyone suffering from sciatica should remember not to lose hope.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Yes, you can obtain relief from sciatica with the right treatment and intervention.