sciatica: nonsurgical and surgical treatment options

Sciatica Which treatment option is best for you?

http://www.homeopathyhelps.com/blog/sciatica-treatment-options/

Symptoms of Sciatica


•Sciatica is the pain radiating along the Sciatic nerve

•Pain which runs down one or both legs from the lower back

•Symptoms of Sciatica largely depend on where the nerve is pinched.

•Weakness, numbness, tingling in the leg, stiffness of calf muscles

•Difficulty in walking resulting in limping when sufferings are severe.

•Pain may become worse by prolonged sitting, squatting, standing up,

coughing, sneezing, twisting, lifting or straining.

Sciatic Nerve


•The Sciatic nerve starts in the lower back at

lumbar segment L3

•This nerve comes from either side of the

lower spine and travels through the pelvis

and buttocks

•Then the nerve passes along the back of each

upper leg before it divides at the knee into

branches that go to the feet.

Causes of Sciatica


Anything that puts pressure on or irritates Sciatic nerve can cause

pain that shoots down the back of one buttock or thigh. Symptoms

are usually caused when sciatic nerve is compressed by a

herniated disk or bone spur in the spine. Injury to Sciatic nerve

may also cause sciatica.

Sciatica


is a symptom of another medical problem, not a medical condition

on its own. As many as 4 out of every 10 people will get Sciatica,

or irritation of the sciatic nerve, at some point in their life.

Diagnosis of Sciatica


Diagnosis of Sciatica is done by:

Physical examination like

Straight Leg Raise (SLR) test

Imaging tests like X-ray and MRI

How can I treat Sciatica pain and Sciatica itself?


Many options available to treat Sciatica.

As every case is different, the remedy too will differ.

Certain decisions are to be made by patient only, doctor

may only guide. So awareness of every possible treatment option is

vital in order to take correct decision in the treatment of Sciatica.

Treatment of Sciatica


For treatment of Sciatica you have two main options:

Nonsurgical treatment; and

Surgical treatment.

Treatment of Sciatica


Nonsurgical treatment consists of medications and exercises /

physiotherapy. Surgical treatment consists of surgeries like

Microdiscectomy or Fusion Surgery or Lumbar Laminectomy

(Open Decompression) to release the compression on Sciatic Nerve

manually.

Let’s see in detail what nonsurgical and surgical treatment options

are available for Sciatica.

Nonsurgical treatment of Sciatica


1. Home remedies or Self-help measures:

For acute sciatic nerve compression pain, heat and/or ice

packs are readily available and can help alleviate the leg pain,

especially in the initial phase. Usually ice or heat is applied for

approximately 20 minutes on painful areas, and repeated every

two hours. Most people use ice first, but some people find more

relief with heat. The two may be alternated.


2. Exercise for Sciatica and Physiotherapy (Physical Therapy):

Simple exercises, such as walking and gentle stretching, can help

reduce the severity of your symptoms and strengthen the muscles

that support your back. While bed rest may provide some

temporary pain relief, prolonged bed rest is often considered

unnecessary and unhelpful. Physical therapy exercises

Incorporating a combination of strengthening, stretching, and

aerobic conditioning are a central component of almost any

Sciatica treatment plan. When patients engage in a regular program

of gentle exercises, they can recover more quickly from Sciatica

pain and are less likely to have future episodes of pain.


3. Pain Medications:

In conventional medicine, a number of over-the-counter or

Prescription painkilling medications are used that may help in

Reducing or relieving Sciatica pain. These include NSAIDs, Muscle

relaxants, steroids, opioid medications, tricyclic antidepressants

etc.

These medications are not suitable for everyone, particularly when

used in the long term, so it’s important to consider all available

options. Some of these medications can also cause significant side

effects in some people.


4. Homeopathy:

Homeopathy is the least known and least used treatment option.

However it is probably the simplest, effective and most

economical among all treatments discussed here. Homeopathy

treatment is completely non-invasive and safe and don’t have side

effects of any kind even when taken over a long period. This

treatment targets “Sciatica” rather than “Sciatica Pain”. Homeopathy

has been helpful in giving not only short term relief from Sciatica

pain but also long term benefits for the condition itself.

Homeopathy treatments are in the form of chewable sweet pills

Which are very easy and simple to take. If your doctor is not

trained in homeopathy, he may not be able to suggest you or

guide you regarding benefits of homeopathy in Sciatica.


Homeopathy treatment is highly recommended for those who have

already tried exercises, pain medications, corticosteroid

injections without relief.

Homeopathy is best option for those

who are not medically fit or not willing for the surgery.

Surgery can be avoided in many cases with homeopathy treatment.

This may be the best non invasive / non surgical cure for Sciatica.


Homeopathy treatment can be received by visiting any qualified,

trained, registered and experienced homeopathy doctor nearby

you.

Also you can order your Customized Sciatica Homeopathy

Treatment to be delivered by submitting required information

online.

http://www.homeopathyhelps.com/sign-up.asp?ailment=Sciatica





5. Chiropractic / manual manipulation:

Spinal adjustments and manual manipulation performed by approp

riately trained health professionals, such as chiropractors and

osteopathic physicians, are focused on providing better spinal

column alignment, which in turn should help to address a number

of underlying conditions that can cause sciatic nerve pain. It has

shown to provide effective Sciatica pain relief for many patients.


6. Massage therapy:

Certain forms of massage therapy have been shown to have a

number of benefits for back pain, including increased blood

circulation, muscle relaxation, and release of endorphins (the

body’s natural pain relievers).


7. Spinal / epidural steroid Injections:

An epidural injection is injected directly into the inflamed and

Painful area around sciatic nerve which may temporarily reduce

your pain. The effects of Corticosteroids injections tend to be

temporary and the effects usually wear off in a few months and it

does not work for everyone. The number of steroid injections you

can receive is limited because the risk of serious side effects

increases when the injections occur too frequently. However, it can

provide some relief to allow a patient to progress with a

conditioning and exercise program and/or homeopathy.


For most, readily available nonsurgical remedies along with

homeopathy will go a long way to relieving their pain and the

condition itself.

For others, when the pain does not get better with above

nonsurgical remedies, possibly surgery may offer the pain relief.

Surgical Treatment of Sciatica


Surgery is rarely necessary to treat Sciatica, although it may be con

sidered if the condition has an identifiable cause, such as a

herniated or “slipped” disc and the symptoms have not responded

to other forms of treatment (especially homeopathy and

physiotherapy), or the symptoms are getting progressively worse.

Surgery can be considered when the condition is limiting the

patient’s ability to participate in everyday activities.


In most cases, Sciatica surgery is elective, meaning that it is the

patient’s decision whether or not to have surgery. The patient’s

decision to have surgery is based primarily on the amount of pain

and dysfunction the patient is experiencing, and the

length of time that the pain persists. The patient’s general health

may also be a consideration in whether or not to have surgery.


The type of surgery recommended will depend on the cause of

your Sciatica. Some surgical options include:

•Microdiscectomy –

Done in cases where the Sciatica pain is due to a lumbar disc

herniation. In this surgery the part of the herniated disc pressing

on your nerve is removed – the rest of the disc is left intact. This is

the most common type of surgery required.


•Fusion Surgery –

It may be possible to fuse a vertebra that has slipped out of place

by using a metal or plastic cage between the vertebra, supported

with metal rods and screws

•Lumbar Laminectomy –

Decompression laminectomy is a procedure often used to treat

cases where the Sciatica pain is due to lumbar spinal stenosis,

where a section of vertebrae called the lamina, that is pinching the

nerve root, is removed.


Patients may have a positive result from surgery but, as with all sur

gical procedures, spinal surgery carries some risks. Potential

complications range from the relatively minor, such as an

infection at the operation site, to the more serious, such as

permanent damage to the spinal nerves. Before choosing

spinal surgery, your orthopaedic surgeon will discuss the relative

risks and benefits with you.

Before going for surgery it is highly recommended that you try all

nonsurgical options first, especially homeopathy. Because spine

surgeries are delicate and don’t always give expected output

even when done at highly skilled hands.

For more details, please visit http://www.homeopathyhelps.com/blog/sciatica-treatment-options/






Thanks!

Dr. Nitin Dhole

Sushanti Homeopathy Clinic

Ground Floor, GuruGajanan Apartment,

Gajanan Colony, Behind Reliance Mart, Garkheda,

Aurangabad (Maharashtra) India. 431009

Email: [email protected], Website: www.HomeopathyHelps.com

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http://www.homeopathyhelps.com/

sciatica: nonsurgical and surgical treatment options

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