What is sciatica? The thickest nerve in the body, which is formed by the fusion of several nerve roots at the end of the spine, and after passing through the pelvis and the back of the thigh, it is divided into smaller branches when it reaches the knee, and along its path, it reaches the corresponding muscles and part of the skin of the body. The lower one is innervated.
The shooting pain that usually starts from the back and affects the hips and may continue to the lower leg and also the leg itself is called sciatica pain. This pain may be accompanied by numbness and weakness.
Sciatica pain is rarely seen in people under 20 years of age and is usually more common in middle age and around 40 to 50 years of age. Researchers believe that approximately 43% of the world's population suffers from sciatica. This disease does not appear suddenly, but develops over time.
Reasons: Sciatica is actually a symptom and not the name of a disease. It is a sign of other problems that manifest as sciatica pain.
Diseases like:Lumbar disc herniation, spondylolisthesis and spinal canal stenosis
In addition to the mentioned common diseases, the following causes can also cause sciatic nerve involvement:Pregnancy, adhesions, muscle strain or spasm, spinal tumors, infection, lower back fracture
Common symptoms of sciatica pain: Chronic pain on one side of the hip or leg, bilateral pain is very rare
Pain that starts from the lower back or hips and extends to the thigh and leg
Pain that eases when sleeping or walking and worsens when standing or sitting
Feeling of numbness and tingling and weakness in the legs
Feeling of weakness and numbness when moving the legs
Back pain is weaker than leg pain
Sciatica pain is aggravated by sudden movements such as coughing, sneezing and Or changing the state, for example, when getting up
Treatments:1. Conservative treatments:
The aim of this type of treatment is to improve symptoms and pain caused by pressure on the nerve. There are many treatments to improve sciatica symptoms, some effective ones are mentioned here
2. Physiotherapy: In the early stages of severe sciatica pain, the use of hot or cold packs is usually effective in improving the pain. Usually, an ice pack is used first and then a hot water bag. The intervals of using this treatment should be every two hours. If using an ice pack, a cloth or towel should be placed between the skin and the ice pack. Also, the use of physiotherapy modalities such as TENS and ultrasound can help relieve symptoms.
3. Painkillers: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen are usually prescribed to relieve sciatica pain. Muscle relaxants may also be effective in the short term (from a few days to a maximum of two weeks).
4. Interventional treatments: In case of non-response to the previous treatments, the next step can be the use of interventional treatments. Treatments such as epidural injections or ozone nucleolysis. Of course, the amount of disc herniation and the condition of the patient are important for using these methods.
Usually, sciatica pain improves over time, and the time of severe involvement usually lasts from a few days to a maximum of 12 weeks. After the pain is improved, the patient must undergo physiotherapy and exercise therapy to prevent the pain from returning. Also, the conditions of the working environment or the lifestyle of the patient should be changed in such a way that with the correct way of moving and lifting objects, the least pressure is placed on the spine.
5. Effective exercises for sciatica pain, depending on the type of sciatica factor and the amount of pain of the patient, all kinds of exercises are prescribed
Strengthening movements: The purpose of this type of exercise is to strengthen muscles, tendons and ligaments. Strengthening the muscles of the back, abdomen and hips is one of the main goals of strengthening exercises
warm-up exercises Stretching exercises are effective in reducing pain. Most people do not do this type of movement. It is very important to stretch the muscles of the back of the thighs, from the waist to the knees. Another effective movement is to bend on both knees and hands and stretch one arm and the opposite leg and repeat the other arm and leg after a few seconds.
Low-risk aerobic exercise Low-risk movements such as walking, swimming or hydrotherapy are very effective in improving sciatica symptoms. Aerobic movements have the property that the body releases endorphins during these activities, which is a natural pain reliever and relieves sciatica pain.
The patient can do these exercises alone and alternately. Sports such as yoga, tai chi and pilates are also useful if there is a trainer who knows the condition of the patient.
Surgical treatments If the severe pain in the leg lasts for more than 4 or 6 weeks, if the patient does not respond to non-surgical treatments, and if the patient is unable to perform daily activities due to the severity of the problem, the next option may be open surgery.