Sciatica nerve relief home management

Sciatica Nerve relief

Bismillahirahmanirahim, for today entry , i want to say this is most famous topic that always my patient is asking me about a sciatica problem , some time its to complicated to understand by them how to manage this problem , in here i will share some info that will give you a clear picture of this sciatica problem.

What Is Sciatica in our understanding ?

Sciatica is a common type of pain affecting the sciatic nerve, which extends from the lower back all the way through the back of the thigh and down through the leg. It will be depending on where the sciatic nerve is affected,most of the complain by the patient the pain may also extend to the foot or toes. Usually only one side of the lower body is affected .

The Causes of the sciatica ?

• Sciatica most commonly occurs when a herniated disk or a bone spur on the spine compresses part of the nerve causing inflammation, pain and numbness in the affected leg.
• Irritation of the roots of the lower lumbar and lumbosacral spine
• Lumbar spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal) 
• Degenerative disc disease (breakdown of discs, which act as cushions between the vertebrae)
• Spondylolisthesis (a condition in which one vertebra slips forward over another one) 
• Piriformis Syndrome 
• More rarely, the nerve can be compressed by a tumor or damaged by a disease such as diabetes.

What are the symptoms of sciatica ?

1. Most of the Pain is come vary widely from a mild ache to a sharp, burning sensation or excruciating discomfort. Sometimes it may feel like a jolt or electric shock. It may be worse when you cough or sneeze, and prolonged sitting can aggravate symptoms.  
2. Tingling, weakness and numbness 
3. Difficulty moving the leg or foot and feel heavy associated with pain.

The statistic of sciatica 

   The problem of the Sciatica is relatively common affecting 10% to 50% people during their lifetime. This incidence is related to age, it commonly rare before 20 y/o,the highest incidence is found in the fifth decade and then decreases with increasing age. The research find out the regular walking also was found to increase the incidence of sciatica. Most of the time, occupations with greater physical labor, such as carpenters and machine operators, have a higher likelihood of developing sciatica compared to less mobile office workers. 

Risk factors for sciatica

• Age  
• Obesity  
• Occupation  
• Prolonged sitting  
• Diabetes affects the way your body uses blood sugar, increases your risk of nerve damage.

What are complication of this damage by sciatic nerve ?

Most of the result came from this damage are , Loss of feeling in the affected leg , Weakness in the affected leg , damaging the sensation and the worse is  Loss of bowel or bladder function and paralyses due to nerve damaging.

The Treatment are provided like 

Treatments and drugs

Medications: Anti-inflammatory, Muscle relaxants.

• Steroid injections: Corticosteroids help reduce pain by suppressing inflammation around the irritated nerve. 

• Surgery 

• Physical therapy (see next slide)

• Accupuncture

• Chiropractic

What are physiotherapist can do and help you ?

Most of the time human bio mechanic is one of the important things to make the patient understand clearly how to manage this problem 

•  Posture correction - Pay special attention to your core muscles — the muscles in your abdomen and lower back that are essential for proper posture and alignment use a proper Back support and practice with understand how important to maintain a Good body mechanics
• In my practice i believe the exercise is usually better for relieving sciatic pain than bed rest. Patients may rest for a day or two after their sciatic pain flares up, but after that time period, inactivity will usually make the pain worse and i will explain to them to make their understand how important to move early.
• As physio i make their understand if without exercise and movement, the back muscles and spinal structures become weak and less able to support the back, that can lead to back injury and strain, which causes additional pain.
• A simple explanation and easy to make their understand is Active exercise is important for the health of the spinal discs. Movement helps exchange nutrients and fluids within the discs to keep them healthy and prevent pressure on the sciatic nerve.

Why i believe exercise is so important in managing sciatica ?

This is because with using a  Stretching  exercise it is usually recommended to alleviate sciatic pain (Piriformis and hamstrings) and for strengthening it will Strengthen the spinal column and the supporting muscles, ligaments and tendons,the abdominal muscles, gluteus and hip muscles. (McKenzie exercises and Dynamic Lumbar Stabilization).

Here the type of the exercise you can practice

6 common exercise in treating sciatica

(You can Translate it for your understand at my blog )

The Treatment that we can apply 

• Ultrasound– decrease healing time and relieve stiff and inflexible muscles by improving the circulation and gently heating the muscles.

• Massage –deep and firm massage will not only help soothe those cramped muscles but can actually make the nerves and ligaments both relax.(acupressure for sciatica relief)

• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation – In some cases using a very small and controlled amount of electricity can decrease the intensity and number of muscle spasms and can help release pain blocking endorphins, much like aerobics. 

Its important to us to understand about to deal in this problem , because its a universal problem , and if we didnt understand it well it will causes us to have the pain everyday and disturb your normal daily life ....wallahuaklam..