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Causes, signs and symptoms of sciatica

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What is sciatica?

Sciatica is the inflammation of the nerve roots within the intervertebral openings. Sciatica appears suddenly, and the pain is so strong that it is impossible to imagine not having experienced.

In 95% of cases sciatica is a consequence of degenerative disc disease in the remaining 5% is the result of trauma, herniation, wear and deformation of the spine and intervertebral discs.

At risk of this disease are people who play sports that lead a sedentary lifestyle.

The following types of sciatica (radiculopathy):

  • cervical;
  • the neck and shoulder;
  • breast;
  • lumbar-sacral.

Sciatica can be acute – appearing suddenly as a consequence of injury or strain, and after the timely treatment of people permanently forget about it, or chronic. The latter form occurs over time, because of ignoring the disease.

Until recently it was believed that sciatica mostly affects older people, but today the disease is increasingly diagnosed in individuals of middle age. This is due to a wrong sedentary lifestyle, sedentary work, stress. According to statistics from the world health organization, this disease is observed in every eighth inhabitant of the planet aged forty-five years.


The symptoms of sciatica

The main symptom of sciatica is of course pain. The pain depends on where you have had a spinal injury:

  • Cervical radiculitis – when you have a sore neck and any movement of the head enormously enhances the pain. And of course, there may be special cases associated with the disease, for example, may feel dizzy, going deaf, you're not exactly.
  • Breast sciatica. It is characterized by the following: pain that is literally showering all the chest.
  • Sciatica. Back pain when you walk, when you bend over.

For a while the pain may dull, after which sheresumes with greater force. The main location of the pain depends on where the centre of inflammation or pinched nerve fibers. If the nerves affected in the upper part of the spine, the pain appears not only in the neck and shoulders, but in the back of his head. If the sciatica in the middle part of the spine, the pain may encircle the chest, be felt in the hands. When sciatica pain syndrome moves on to the buttocks, thighs, feet.

The next common symptom of sciatica – the loss of sensitivity, it can be partial or complete. Partial loss of sensation appears in the center of those places where the affected nerve. In severe cases there is numbness of the limbs. There are often symptoms such as muscle weakness, failures in their work until the atrophy, burning and tingling in the soft tissues, headache, dizziness, decreased hearing and vision, the reason for this is impaired blood flow to the brain. With sciatica the lower spine can appear malfunctions in the bowel and bladder.


The signs of sciatica

Often sciatica can be confused with manifestations of other diseases: varicose veins, flat feet, injuries or diseases of internal organs, which also tend to girdle pain.

Sciatica can be distinguished by the following features:

  • the pain appears suddenly. It can also dramatically the Gulf, and after the resumption of the pain stronger;
  • increased pain when the person lying on the back raises the straightened leg;
  • foot reflex bend when the patient tries to sit up from a prone position;

  • sharp pain when sneezing and coughing;

  • strengthening of pain when tilting head forward;
  • hard to be a long time in one position, but moving the pain subsides;
  • night the patient's condition deteriorates;
  • appears sweating, paleness of the face.

The cause of sciatica

Because sciatica is not a separate disease, but a syndrome, it can cause a lot of reasons. As you know, our spine is the spinal cord. From this brain leaves many nerve endings, which coordinate and control the movements of our body. Once the nerve endings getdamage or inflammation, then there is a disease like sciatica.

According to statistics, about 95% of cases sciatica is a manifestation of osteochondrosis, and the remaining 5% is the result of chronic injuries of the spine, including intervertebral hernia.

Throughout life everyone is faced with the symptoms of this "rejuvenated" in recent years, a disease (now it is often found in children). Low back pain occurs due to degenerative changes in the spinal column, which in turn caused sedentary lifestyle, improper distribution of physical activity. If you do not treat this disease, it turns into a more severe form, causing a lot of inconvenience and discomfort.

Also sciatica can be caused by herniated discs, osteophytes (bony growths on vertebrae), stenosis of the spinal canal, the appearance of tumors, development of arthritis. Diseases of internal organs, cardiovascular and urogenital system is also able to provoke changes of the spine, leading to acute or chronic sciatica.

What else can cause the sciatica?

Sciatica can also cause:

  • Stress;

  • Infection;
  • The metabolic disorders;
  • Lifting weights.

Sciatica often appears in healthy people, as a result of injuries and physical activities – weight lifting, for example. Excessive pressure on the vertebrae leading to pinched nerves, causing inflammation and pain.

And sciatica occurs in pregnant women when due to sudden weight gain untrained muscles and spine are strained. Hormonal changes and metabolic disorders can cause sciatica.

Inflammatory and infectious processes in the body can cause inflammation of the nerve roots, and is often a consequence of hypothermia, colds and flu. Sciatica prevalent among those people who are often in a state of stress, experiencing depression.

Improper diet also affects the development of this syndrome. If a person eats a large amount of salt, it is deposited in the cervical spine, putting pressure on the nerve fibers.


Diagnosis of sciatica

As soon as you feel pain in a vertebra, you should go to a doctor, specifically a neurologist. The neurologist will listen to you and examine. His task is to identify the disease for what it is and refer you for x-rays. After that, the expert will have more to say exactly why you have back pain. X-rays will also help to identify how much and where exactly you have a spinal injury, and then prescribed a course of treatment.

Diagnosis of diseases of the spine deals with the doctor-the neuropathologist. The first stage is examination and medical history, the specialist queries the patient to identify symptoms and causes of the disease.

After examination, the doctor prescribes tests and studies. The basic method is x-ray, if not, assign magnetic resonance and computed tomography, radionuclide scanning (scintigraphy). In addition to the study of bone tissue of the patient, can be performed ultrasound examination of the abdomen and pelvis, chest x-ray, ECG. Mandatory blood and urine tests.


How to treat sciatica?

First of all, in the treatment of sciatica, the patient must provide rest, to limit his physical activity. For several days a person should abandon any physical activity, most of the time to stay in bed. In this case the bed should be flat, do not bend under person. Usually under the mattress put a rigid base. It is important to restrict the movement of spine which has been damaged, it is convenient to use the locking corset.

To reduce the intensity of pain, use of analgesics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, myorelaxant (diclofenac, naproxen, nimesulide, ibuprofen, and others). Severe pain pain medication is administered intramuscularly, in milder cases limited to tablets, candles, creams and ointments. In a medical facility can spend novocaine blockade of the damaged nerve. But the anesthesia of the affected area is the first stage of care, after the relief of pain perform the treatment prescribed procedure.

It is important to remember that prolonged use of painkillers may cause irritation of the digestive tract that leads to ulceration of the gastric mucosa, increases the risk of heart attacks and kidney disease. And some strong analgesics are addictive. Therefore, it is importantto perform the treatment, not the elimination of symptoms.

Modern methods of treatment of sciatica

Modern methods include: medication, physiotherapy, different types of therapy. Effective medicinal remedy for sciatica – cream based on snake venom (e.g., "I experienced an unexpected side effect"). Remedy relieve joints, has antiseptic effect, reduces inflammation. The result is improved blood supply to tissues, facilitating the General condition of the patient, treatment of the disease. Use other ointments/gels with the effect of local irritation, a skin patch.

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Effective in the treatment of sciatica manual therapy – flexing, stretching of the spine through the power of the hands massage. These treatments release pinched nerves, increasing the clearance between them. But to apply for such assistance should be only to the specialist, since any manipulation of the spinal Department require caution. It is impossible to stretch the spine by yourself using the bar – this can lead to the aggravation of the disease. Traction should be a doctor.

Along with medications and manual therapy an alternative treatment: acupuncture, reflexology, laser therapy, galvanic current, phonophoresis (ultrasound treatment), hot paraffin and mud packs, radon baths, a variety of warm-up. In severe cases, when the patient for a long time in pain, treatment with antidepressants. Typically, sciatica, depending on stage, can be cured over a period of several days to several weeks.

Surgery

If 3-4 months of treatment the patient's condition has not improved, the doctor offers surgery. Small open surgery (microdiscectomy) is the removal of one of the intervertebral discs, which puts pressure on the spinal nerve. Laminectomy (lumbar surgery) is assigned if the detected spinal stenosis, and the patient can not tolerate even the usual exercise.

During the operation removed part of the bone, tamamlama nerve. But surgical treatment try to avoid using it in extreme cases when the patient loses control over bowel and bladder, has difficulty with movement.


The effects of sciatica

If time does not deal with the treatment of diseases of the spinal Department, the disease can take a chronic and to disturbthe person throughout life. The patient will experience severe discomfort, which will seriously reduce performance.

In the future there is a possibility of complications, which lead to infarction of the spinal cord or paralysis of the extremities, and it often ends with getting disability. With regular exacerbations, it is better not to experiment with folk remedies, and consult a specialist who will establish the causes of the disease and prescribe a course of treatment.

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Prevention of sciatica

In the prevention of sciatica recommended physiotherapy (not during an exacerbation). It is necessary to strengthen the muscles that will relieve pressure off the spine, will create a natural muscular corset. Beneficial for the spine swimming, but in this case it is necessary to avoid hypothermia and sudden movements. Advisable to fight obesity, which increases pressure on the vertebrae. Heavy physical work to perform better in a corset, try not to lift heavy objects, not to stay long in an inclined position.

It is also important to monitor the posture and proper nutrition. First of all –to reduce the consumption of salt, increase intake of fiber (eat more raw vegetables, fresh salads). To prepare better for the couple, avoiding greasy, fried, spicy. Sweet, coffee and strong tea also should be deleted. Useful garlic, juice of lemon, bananas. Sometimes sciatica is exacerbated due to the lack of vitamin B12 and other nutritional supplements it is advisable to add to the diet.