Sciatica is a condition that causes pain in the lower back, buttocks, and legs. It’s most commonly caused by nerve irritation in the sciatic nerve, which runs down the back of the leg. Sciatica is usually caused by various factors, including injury, illness, and pregnancy. In this article, I discuss sciatica’s causes, available treatment options, and how to relieve sciatic nerve pain at home.
What is sciatica
Sciatica is a chronic pain condition when the sciatic nerve, which runs from the spine to the legs, is compressed or irritated. The most common causes of sciatica are long-term back pain, pregnancy and being overweight. In some cases, sciatica may be caused by a tumour or a pinched nerve in the spine due to a worn-down spinal disc (spinal stenosis). Additionally, bone spurs, degenerative disc disease, spinal fractures and osteoarthritis can lead to sciatica. If sciatica isn’t treated, it can lead to other complications, such as impaired bowel and bladder function and pain when you urinate or have a bowel movement.
Diagnosis
Sciatica is usually diagnosed based on your symptoms and your medical history. In addition, your doctor may perform a physical examination and ask questions about your pain and how it affects your daily activities. The diagnostic tests that may be used to diagnose sciatica include X-rays; an MRI scan to create detailed images of soft tissues and structures, such as the spinal cord, a myelogram, which uses X-rays and a small amount of general anesthesia to inject a dye into the spinal canal; and a nerve conduction study, which uses tiny needles to inject a dye into the area and record the electrical signals as they travel along the nerve. Your doctor may also recommend other tests, such as a blood test to check for infections and underlying medical conditions that may be causing your symptoms.
What sciatica pain feels like – Common Sciatica symptoms
Sciatica pain is often described as a constant, dull, aching or shooting pain that shoots down your leg or your back when you move. It can feel like pins and needles, burning, tingling, or numbness. Sciatica symptoms can also result in muscle weakness and affect one leg or both, including the back or the front of the leg.
Why Sciatica Hurts
The sciatic nerve is the largest in the human body. It runs from the lower back, through the buttocks, down the back of each leg and down the back of your feet. Sciatica is the pain response that occurs when the nerve is compressed or irritated. When the sciatic nerve is compressed or irritated, it can cause a variety of symptoms. When the Piriformis muscle compresses the sciatic nerve it causes a pain signal to trigger. The symptoms of sciatica can vary from person to person, but minor to severe pain is the most common.
How to relieve sciatic pain at home
A paragraph about how you can relieve sciatic nerve pain at home.
Mind your posture!
While it might feel uncomfortable to maintain your posture when you’re in pain, paying attention can help relieve and reduce the risk of developing sciatica. Improper posture – such as hunching your shoulders – can lead to compressed discs, which can further irritate the nerve and cause pain. Posture is especially important if you spend a lot of time sitting down. If you find yourself slouching while sitting, try to adjust yourself to sit as upright as possible without discomfort. In addition, keeping the spine in alignment reduces the pressure on the sciatic nerve when sitting.
Hot and cold therapy
Using heat therapy and cold therapy can relieve sciatic nerve pain. Using heat on the affected area can reduce inflammation and pain. In contrast, cool treatments can reduce the amount of nerve stimulation and reduce nerve sensitivity. You can use a hot pack, a warm cloth or a heating pad to help reduce inflammation in the area. You can also use a cold pack, a damp cold cloth or an ice pack to reduce swelling and inflammation. Both hot and cold therapy should only be used for a short period – a few minutes at a time – and should not be left on for long periods of time.
Exercises to reduce and prevent sciatica pain
Exercises can help to reduce the pain of sciatica and strengthen the muscles around the area to help support your spine and reduce the risk factors of developing sciatica. Exercises that strengthen the muscles around the back and spine, such as abdominal and core strengthening, are also essential to help support the spine and reduce the risk of further sciatica. Stretching exercises can also help increase the range of motion and can reduce the pain of sciatica.
Stretches to relieve sciatic nerve pain
The following stretching exercises can help to restore range of motion and alleviate sciatica pain:
Walking to relieve sciatic pain
Walking is a low-impact, gentle exercise that can help to relieve sciatic pain. When you are walking, the muscles in your legs and abdomen are being used to support your body weight. Walking also requires you to use your abdominal muscles and back muscles to support your body. This helps strengthen the muscles around the spine and back, reducing the risk of sciatica.
When to see your doctor
You should consult your doctor if your sciatica symptoms do not improve after a few days. Sciatica pain may subside on its own in most cases. However, if your sciatica pain does not subside after a few days, especially if you tried the home treatments I suggested above, they did not relieve your symptoms. In addition, sciatica pain can sometimes be caused by a more severe condition, such as a herniated disc. Therefore it is imperative to contact your doctor to rule out any other conditions that may be causing the pain.
Sciatica Treatments
There are a variety of different treatments that can help to alleviate sciatica pain. However, the most common treatments of sciatica include physical therapy, non-surgical spinal decompression, psychotherapy, and surgery as a last resort.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy is one of the most common and effective conservative treatments for sciatica. Physical therapy involves using various techniques and equipment to help strengthen the muscles around your spine and back, which can help to support your spinal column and reduce the risk of developing sciatica. Physical therapy can help to reduce the pain of sciatica and can also help to reduce nerve stimulation and increase the range of motion in the muscles around your spine and back. Using a series of exercises, your physical therapist can help to restore your range of motion and help to alleviate your sciatica pain.
DRX9000: Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy
One of the things that make Optimum Alberta Back and Neck Rehab different from other rehabilitation clinics is our advanced treatment options. DRX9000 is one of these options. DRX9000 is a non-invasive, non-surgical spinal decompression therapy designed to treat lower back and neck pain due to Intervertebral disc bulge, lumbar herniated disc and degenerative disc disease.
Why Non-surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy works
The DRX9000 utilizes a computer-controlled motor to progressively stretch open a damaged spinal disc. This effectively decreases pressure inside the disc. As a result, fluids and nutrients are pulled into the affected disc, helping it to repair and alleviate back and neck pain. As the disc begins to heal, scar tissue decreases, reducing the amount of disc bulge or disc herniation by 50% on average, easing the buttock and leg pain (sciatica) and numbness that patients typically experience. DRX9000 successfully helped patients in Calgary alleviate their chronic back and neck pain when other treatments failed.
Psychotherapy
Counselling is another proven treatment option that has been shown to be helpful for sciatica. Counselling involves talking with a trained professional about your experiences and symptoms, which can help to reduce the pain of sciatica and can also help to enhance your coping skills. Oftentimes, counselling is offered alongside other treatments, such as physical therapy, to enhance your treatment plan. Similar to counselling, psychotherapy can be provided individually or in groups.
Using pain medication to relieve sciatic pain
Over-the-counter (OTC) medications such as muscle relaxants can also treat sciatica symptoms, which can help improve your quality of life. However, it is important to recognize that utilizing over-the-counter medications to treat sciatica symptoms does not address the underlying source of your symptoms. Medication can help with sciatica, but it should be taken in conjunction with other treatments that address the underlying cause of your pain. If you have sciatica, you should consult a medical doctor who can design your optimal treatment plan. Consult your doctor before using pain medication to manage pain.
Surgery
Surgery is a final treatment option that can help to alleviate sciatica pain. Surgery involves using a variety of techniques to correct spinal abnormalities that may be causing your sciatica. Some surgeries to treat sciatica include spinal fusion, spinal decompression, and spinal disc replacement. Often, surgery is used as a last resort for sciatica, as it is typically reserved for severe cases of sciatica that have not responded to other treatments.
Make an appointment
Make an appointment with one of our specialists now if you suffer from chronic sciatica pain! In Calgary, Alberta, Optimum Alberta Back and Neck Rehab is a full-service rehabilitation clinic. We have a team of doctors, therapists, and support staff who are committed to assisting you in reaching your optimum health and wellness goals. In addition to standard rehabilitation methods, we are currently the only facility in Calgary that provides innovative therapy options such as non-surgical spinal decompression. If you have tried rehabilitative treatments in the past and have not found relief, please call us to book an appointment to learn how we can help you.