Suffering With Sciatica
What is Sciatica?How long will a person suffer pain with this?
The pain started at the back in the lumbar area and the pain radiates to the toe of the left leg.After a course of treatment with pain killers and muscle relaxent the pain persists.I want to know how long will it be there?How can it be get ridden?
Sciatica is pain, tingling, or numbness produced by an irritation of the nerve roots that lead to the sciatic nerve. The most common cause of sciatica is a bulging or ruptured disc (herniated disc) in the spine pressing against the nerve roots that lead to the sciatic nerve. However, sciatica also can be a symptom of other conditions that affect the spine, such as narrowing of the spinal canal (spinal stenosis), bone spurs (small, bony growths that form along joints) caused by arthritis, or nerve root compression (pinched nerve) caused by injury. In rare cases, sciatica can also be caused by conditions that do not involve the spine, such as tumors or pregnancy.
In many cases, sciatica will improve and go away with time. Initial treatment usually focuses on medicines and exercises to relieve pain. You can help relieve pain by:
Putting ice or a cold pack on the middle of the lower back.
Avoiding sitting (unless it is more comfortable than standing).
Alternating lying down with short walks. Increase your walking distance as you are able to without pain.
Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve).
Additional treatment for sciatica depends on what is causing the nerve irritation. If your symptoms do not improve, your health professional may suggest physical therapy, injections of medicines such as steroids, or even surgery for severe cases
This is a pinched, crushed or irritate Sciatic nerve. If it is because of inflammation it will get better after the imflammation clears. But if it is pinched due to a collapsed or out of line vertebrae it will persists until you have a procedure to free the nerve. Its very painful and debilitating. Please see an orthopedic doctor. Best of luck to you.
Sciatica as I understand it is when the Sciatic nerve in the lumbar area of the spine gets trapped or pinched this causes the pain you describe The lenght of time lasts I think I am right in saying that it is different for each person and if the nerve is being trapped or pinched then something is causing that,get to your doctor and get more help.
i feel your pain i’m going through it right now.have your family doc refer you to pain management or a nuro doc.they gave me neurontin(a epilepsy medicine) that blocks nerve pain..well it does work,i also have to get steroid injections also.if that don’t work then it’s surgery for me.
I’ve had back pain and I know what your going through. Sciatica is the impairment of the sciatic nerve. This imparment can be temporary – you suffered trauma injury to your back, or you may have an illness that is more progressive that is causing aggravation to this nerve. The pain can be localised in the lower back but most often it radiates through the buttocks and into the leg; sometimes down as far as the toes.
The usual medication is pain killers and muscle relaxers. The back has a defensive mechanism that locks the back muscles in order to stabilise the area and prevent further damage. This locking or spasaming is extremely painfull – nature intended it that way to immobilise you so as to discontinue doing damage. The pain killers take the edge off this pain and the muscle relaxers reduce the spasaming. If this pain killer was an anti inflamitory then this would reduce the swelling as well that is associated with an injury.
You are probably under good medical care with the meds you are on. The only thing that I have tried and swear by is baths with Dead Sea salts. The buoyancy takes the pressure off the spine, and the minerals really do the trick. The stuff is cheap off ebay – but make sure you get the 100% stuff.
Hope that helps
…Amy