Sciatica is the name given to the pain in the leg that radiates
from the lower back and buttock, down through
the thigh and calf, sometimes reaching the toes. Sciatica
literally means pain from pressure on the sciatic
nerve.
This pain can be felt as an aching, burning or stinging. It
can be so severe that it makes every movement, including
sitting, coughing and sneezing excruciating. It can be accompanied
with feelings of numbness, pins and needles,
spasms and cramp. Some people report no back pain, but
the origin of the problem is in the spine.
More common than true Sciatica, is "referred" pain in the
leg, the back pain may be so intense that it "overflows" to
the buttock, groin and leg. It is not caused by nerve pressure
but by pain in a disc or facet joint or the surrounding
soft tissues.
What causes Sciatica?
These confused messages sent via the nerves can be
caused by an injury, for example a fall, damage caused by
vibration and by cumulative strain, or by disorders such as
spondylosis (the degenerative change to the vertebrae),
facet joint inflammation or spinal stenosis (narrowing of
the spinal canal).
Some occupations are more commonly affected; long distance
lorry drivers, sedentary and manual workers. People
who are either tall, smoke, or have a family history of disc
problems, are more at risk.
The onset of pain
Many people will need pain killers for an attack of sciatic
pain, and should take it easy for the first 24 48 hours of its
onset, but remember, bed rest is not a treatment in itself.
You should continue with your life as much as the pain allows,
it is sometimes necessary to stop for a while to relax
and recover, but this does not mean become immobile and
you should start a gradual return to normal activities and
gentle exercise as soon as possible.
What can be done?
It is important to know that half of the people with nerve
root pain recover within six weeks and that only one in a
hundred of those referred to hospital out patient
departments require surgery. Treatment options obviously
depend on the severity of the symptoms and the cause of
the problem, but always try the least invasive, most conservative
treatment first. In the meantime, it is important to
listen to the warning signals your body is giving you and
stop doing whatever aggravates the pain.
It is also very important to consider the way you use your
back. Back pain can recur and you should think about
whether you need to modify your work environment or car
or to if you need to correct your posture whilst sitting and
standing, lifting and even sleeping.
Physiotherapy and the manipulative therapies of chiropractic
and osteopathy are found to be beneficial by many people.
Others find the Alexander Technique helpful and Acupuncture
and the use of healing magnets can help with
pain control.
Bear in mind however that with all treatments, each person's
response will be different, because we are all different.
It is difficult to say what will work for you and it is a
matter of trial and error until you find which treatment
works best for you.
World of Magnets Ltd, 45 Birches Lane, South Wingfield,
Nr Alfreton, Derbyshire. DE55 7LY tel: 0115 8226260/61
magnet therapy is a natural
alternative pain relief treatment for fibromyalgia, gout, arthritis, sciatica and many other chronic
painful conditions.
