You may be one of those people who always seems to have back pain; it might be just about anywhere in your back, but usually, sufferers report that it’s either confined to the upper or the lower back. Whenever you experience a painful sensation in your lower back and your legs, there’s a good chance that this can be put down to what the doctors refer to as sciatica.
So what are the principal causes of sciatica?
Most people that get sciatica get it through a problem referred to as disc herniation; this can happen through exerting yourself by having an inappropriate or awkward posture and can result in your spinal disc moving out of its correct alignment. This misalignment to the disc can then lead to it pressing on the sciatic nerve which will bring on sciatica to varying degrees, all of which are painful.
Another, less common but potentially more serious cause of sciatica are spinal tumors. As they develop, they will press on the sciatic nerve and can cause particularly severe pain which can be widespread from the back, through the legs to the feet.
A further cause of sciatica is known as Piriformis syndrome; this syndrome comes about when the piriformis, a major muscle in the buttock, impinges upon the sciatic nerve giving rise to pain in the buttocks and further referred, and often sever, pain along the sciatic nerve.
So how do I deal with sciatica?
Sciatic nerve pain relief may vary from a nonsurgical to a surgical approach. There are various methods of treatment available depending on the cause.
For the majority of cases of sciatica, your doctor or medical practitioner will prescribe a course of anti-inflammatory medications such as steroids which, in most cases will calm the inflammation down and will often be sufficient. For other, more serious cases it may be that the only satisfactory answer is to commit to surgery; your doctor will only opt for this as a last resort. Since any operation carries inherent risks when it involves the spine and its nerves – in the worst cases a mistake can result in very serious damage and, in very rare cases, even to paralysis.
Many people with sciatica have managed to alleviate the problem and its pain with the careful use of exercise sometimes under their control and sometimes with the help of a qualified chiropractor. However, before embarking on any form of exercise when involving the back and sciatica, it is essential to have the problem properly diagnosed, to begin with, so as to avoid making the problem worse. Additionally, should there be any sign that the sciatica is getting worse then the best thing is to stop and get expert advice.
It would be unreasonable to expect that a short course of anti-inflammatory medication or physical exercise will put an end to the problem but regular chiropractic adjustments and steady exercise regime will, over time, build back muscle strength and increase your flexibility and set you on the road to recovery.
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