Contents
What is sciatica?
Sciatica is an inflammation of the sciatic nerve. With this pathology, pain occurs in the lumbar region. They spread to the thigh, to the foot, become more intense during coughing and when walking. Symptoms of sciatica in the early stages of development may resemble lumbodynia, lumbago and lumboischialgia.
In people suffering from this disease, an exacerbation often occurs two to three times a year. People endure pain, walking with it for several days and forgetting about the disease until the next attack, they are in no hurry to see a doctor.
Negligent attitude to sciatica leads to the fact that very soon the disease simply does not allow a person to live normally. The sciatic nerve is the largest in the body. It starts in the lumbar spine and travels down the leg, where it divides into small nerves.
It is for this reason that sciatica pain can appear in a wide variety of places. Most often, a person feels a “lumbago” from the lower back to the heel through the entire leg. But there are options when there is no pain in the lower back itself, and discomfort is felt only in some part of the leg.
Symptoms of sciatica
A variety of causes that cause sciatica, and provides a lot of manifestations of this disease.
Sometimes the pain can be local – only in the lower back, but even in this case, its manifestations can be varied. The patient may stab, burn or “shoot” in the back. Sometimes there is a feeling of numbness or “goosebumps”.
Very often, sciatica makes itself felt with pain along the entire length of the leg, starting in the lumbar spine and spreading through the buttock and thigh to the very tips of the fingers. There are cases when only one part of the leg hurts, for example, there is discomfort in the knee or toes become numb.
In any case, the pain can be so unbearable that the person cannot walk, sit or bend over. At the same time, he involuntarily tilts the body slightly forward and to the side, the gait becomes asymmetrical.
Most often, sciatica affects one leg, but there are times when pain manifests itself in both limbs at the same time.
When the attack passes, the pain persists in the region of the 5th lumbar and 1 sacral vertebrae, under the knee and in the center of the buttock. Sometimes the pain is so severe that the person may lose consciousness. Other symptoms include: increased sweating, swelling and flushing of the skin. The pain becomes more intense if a person is in an upright position for a long time, walks or sits on a hard surface.
The attack forces him to take a forced posture. He focuses on a healthy leg. The patient’s gait also changes.
If the disease has a severe course, it can lead to a decrease in the gluteal, calf, or femoral muscle. It will be difficult for a person to bend the leg, as the muscle is immobilized. He moves his fingers with difficulty and turns his foot.
Diagnosis of sciatica
Sciatica can be associated with various pathologies. Therefore, before starting treatment, you need to find out the cause of its occurrence.
To begin with, the neurologist examines the patient, checks reflexes and skin sensitivity. This allows you to assess the degree of damage to the nervous tissue.
The patient is then sent for x-rays. This study allows you to identify pathologies of bone tissue.
If the information is not enough, then the patient will be prescribed an MRI or CT scan. When a doctor suspects a cancerous growth, a radioisotope scan of the spinal column should be performed. Such a study is indicated for patients with HIV and those taking corticosteroids.
Causes of sciatica
The causes of sciatica are many. This disease can manifest itself as a result of hypothermia or become a complication after an infection – influenza or tuberculosis. Injuries and diseases of the spine – such as osteochondrosis, deformation or degeneration of the intervertebral discs, the formation of hernias, tumors, any changes in the shape of the vertebrae – can lead to pinching or injuring the nerve roots. Also, the list of causes of sciatica includes diabetes, arthritis, constipation and gynecological diseases (including birth injuries).
Next, an interesting theory will be considered, which, in our opinion, is the true cause of sciatica. If you understand it, it will be easy to cope with the disease.
As a rule, the treatment of the disease is reduced to anesthesia of the affected area. When risk factors begin to affect the body, for example, hypothermia or physical overload, the symptoms of the pathology return.
A person cannot control the tone of the muscles of the back, buttocks, piriformis muscle by an effort of will. The pain occurs precisely at the time when their spasm develops and the sciatic nerve is pinched. A person can strain these muscles, but he is not able to relax them.
Those brain structures that are responsible for human emotions are responsible for muscle relaxation. All internal organs, vessels and tissues are controlled by the brain stem and hemispheres. Positive emotions contribute to the relaxation of these muscles, and negative experiences, on the contrary, provoke their tension.
Even an instantaneous, but strong negative emotion can increase the tone of muscles and tissues. This leads to spasm and pinching of the nerve. It is especially vulnerable in people with osteochondrosis, spinal hernia, spondylolisthesis and other diseases of the spinal column. Information about this can be found in any medical publication.
One more fact can be cited to confirm the viability of this theory. Women and men have differences in the structure of the brain, they react differently to stress. Therefore, the pain with sciatica is also different for them, this is not a secret for anyone. So, in 80% of women, pain occurs in the right buttock, right thigh, knee and foot. In men, in 80% of cases, the left half of the body suffers.
The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body, while the left hemisphere controls the right lobe. There are also gender differences in the prefrontal cortex. This section is responsible for decision control. There is a difference in the frontal lobes of the brain. All these differences relate to the amygdala (it is responsible for the emergence of emotions and the ability to remember them). Therefore, the male amygdala communicates with the right hemisphere, and the female with the left hemisphere.
Scientist Larry Cahill has been monitoring the brain function of men and women during times of stress when they watch a horror movie. He noticed that during negative emotions in men, the left hemisphere remained at rest, and the maximum reaction was observed precisely on the right side of the hemisphere. In women, on the contrary, the left hemisphere became more active.
All this explains the fact that in women, during stress, the right side spasms to a greater extent, and in men, the left side.
If we take into account all these facts and analyze the experienced emotions, we can understand what provoked sciatica in a particular person. It is likely that emotional balance and a positive attitude will help to cope with the disease.
Sciatica can be triggered by factors such as:
Injuries, hypothermia, excessive physical activity.
Diseases of an infectious nature that negatively affect the functioning of the nervous system. First of all, this applies to tuberculosis, herpes zoster, brucellosis.
Allergic reactions of the body.
Multiple sclerosis.
Intoxication of the body with poisons, drugs, heavy metals, toxins that appear due to the decomposition of cancerous tumors.
Diabetes, alcohol abuse, metabolic disorders.
Sciatica most often manifests itself due to the impact on the body of several factors at once. This pathology concerns mainly the elderly who suffer from diseases of the spinal column, from vascular pathologies. Therefore, it is not surprising that sciatica never develops in childhood.
Treatment of sciatica
Sciatica is treated by a neurologist who prescribes therapy after the examination.
Physiotherapy. Physiotherapy methods can reduce the intensity of pain, but they will not be able to cope with the cause of sciatica. The doctor may prescribe electrophoresis to the patient with antispasmodics, vitamins, muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatory drugs, UHF, laser treatment, phonophoresis, paraffin therapy, UV radiation, electrosleep. All these techniques make it possible to improve tissue nutrition, reduce swelling and cope with pain.
Massage and reflexology. When acute inflammation is removed, you can attend massage courses. General massage, cupping massage, acupressure, acupuncture, moxibustion help well. You can also use Kuznetsov’s home applicator. Its use allows you to reduce pain, relieve muscle tone.
Regardless of the type of massage, it leads to an improvement in blood flow, helps to eliminate lymph stagnation, and reduces pain. The nerve begins to work correctly, which helps prevent muscle damage.
NSAIDs and pain medication. Pain can be reduced by drugs from the NSAID group, which perfectly stop inflammation. These can be drugs such as: Diclofenac, Indomethacin, Ibuprofen, Ortofen, Naproxen, Ketorolac, etc. When taking these drugs, you need to take into account that they irritate the mucous membrane of the digestive system, affect the kidneys and thin the blood. Therefore, it is not recommended to use them for a long time.
To a lesser extent, drugs such as Movalis, Nimesulide, Arcoxia irritate the stomach. Therefore, you can take them longer. Perhaps the doctor will recommend taking Omeprazole in parallel.
If the seizures get worse, then corticosteroid hormones may be prescribed. Treatment should be short. They are unable to cope with the cause of the disease and have many side effects.
Other drugs for the treatment of sciatica. The doctor may prescribe the patient B vitamins, vitamin E, or complex supplements. In addition, therapy can be supplemented with drugs to relax the muscles.
Exercise therapy. Physical activity helps improve a person’s well-being. You can work out at home. The “bike” exercise, as well as stretching, has a good effect. You can start classes only after the acute phase of inflammation is stopped.
Injections for sciatica
With sciatica, drugs such as: Analgin, Tramadol, Ksefokam can be used. They allow you to get rid of pain. Also, injections of hormonal drugs are prescribed: Prednisolone, Hydrocortisone. They are not often used, only with severe swelling and inflammation.
Injections are given only in case of intense pain attacks, which cannot be coped with by taking pills. After the acute stage of the disease begins to subside, the patient is transferred to oral medication.
He may also be assigned blockades with Novocaine or Ultracaine. They are injected into the bundle of the sciatic nerve. This allows you to completely block it and get rid of pain.
fully left side back pain full left leg