Sciatica

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You may have Sciatica if you start feeling any lower back pain and/or hip pain that radiates towards the back of your thigh and into your leg. This could be due to a protruding herniated disc in your spinal column that may be pressing on the nerve roots in the lumbar spine.

Sciatica Symptoms

People with sciatica may experience a bad leg cramp, or a sharp (“knife-like”) or electrical pain. The cramp may last for weeks before it subsides. You may have pain, particularly when you move, sneeze, or cough, which can go with weakness, “pins and needles” numbness, or a burning or tingling sensation down your leg.

Sciatica Causes

  • It is most common to get sciatica from the ages of 30 to 50 years.
  • It can result from the general wear and tear of aging, also to any sudden pressure on the discs that cushion the bones (vertebrae) of your lower spine.
  • A herniated disc causes sciatica. This herniated disc may press on the nerve roots that refer to the sciatic nerve.
  • Nerve roots may also get inflamed and irritated by chemicals from the disc’s nucleus.

Sciatica Treatment

Chiropractic treatment methods assist you in managing your pain without long-term use of medications. Try and limit the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or muscle relaxants. Furthermore, some find it calming to place gentle cold or heat on your painful muscles. It is important to continue to keep moving and not to stay in bed. A lot of rest may cause pooling of inflammation and may result in other areas of the body to feel discomfort.

Try and find a comfortable position, and be as active as you can as motion helps to minimize inflammation. As soon as possible your chiropractor will start physical therapy. Then when you are ready, you will start stretching exercises. This is to help you resume your regular activities without sciatic nerve pain. Your chiropractor may want you to take short walks as well. Most of the time, your condition will get better within a few weeks with proper chiropractic treatment.

Sciatica Rehabilitation Treatment

  • Your chiropractor will prescribe tailored exercises to strengthen your back.
  • It is essential to walk and move while limiting a lot of bending or twisting.
  • You are encouraged to carry out household tasks including cooking and cleaning.
  • After adhering to treatment for sciatica, you will be able to resume your normal lifestyle and keep your pain under control. Yet, there is always a chance that you can irritate your disc again so it is vital you manage your sciatica.
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