The majority of the population will suffer from back pain sometime in their lives with a large portion experiencing some degree of severity. However, not very many people are aware of the severity of pain that comes with a certain type of back pain known as sciatica. The term sciatica is not actually a condition but a description of the symptoms of the condition.
Sciatica is often characterized by pain from the the upper part of the buttocks down one or both legs and can be very painful especially when sitting. The degree of pain and discomfort can range from a numbness or a tingling feeling to severe chronic pain that can be debilitating. This level of severity prevents people from working and living a normal life.
Sciatica usually occurs in people between the ages of thirty and fifty years of age. Contrary to what most believe, the result of sciatica is often not due to a particular event or injury but rather the sciatic pain over a period of time that develops as a result of general wear and tear of the structures of the lower spine.
Sciatica nerve pain is primarily caused by a combination of pressure and inflammation of the root nerve and treatment is focused on relieving both of these factors. Traditional sciatica treatment involves both non-surgical and surgical methods. Non-surgical sciatica treatment primarily includes a combination of medical treatments and alternative processes that includes some form of stretching and exercises. The goals of this form of non-surgical treatment is intended to both relief sciatica pain and prevent future occurrence.
Surgery to repair sciatica, such as microdiscectomy or lumbar laminectomy and discectomy, is used to remove the portion of the disc that is irritating the nerve root. The focus of this type of surgery is to relieve both the pressure and inflammation and is considered a warranted action when the sciatic nerve pain becomes very severe and has not been relieved from non-surgical and alternative treatments.
Some of the more common practices to prevent this condition includes standing upright and paying close attention to your posture. In other words, don’t slouch. Try sitting upright when at your desk with your lower back just slightly curved. Try not to slump in your chair or hunch over your computer keyboard. When setting up your workstation, make sure you place the screen at eye level. Change your position frequently by getting up and walking around at least every 30 or so minutes….even if its for a few seconds. Try to avoid being overweight as this can place a lot of undue pressure on your back. Try to stretch every morning and most importantly….when lifting something heavy, use your leg muscles and hold the item close to your body….never bend over and strain your back.
The biggest misconception regarding sciatica pain is that many who feel that by reducing the inflammation the pain goes away and the condition is resolved. However, what they learn is that over time the condition not only returns but even worsens. At this point, the disc has experienced some level of degeneration. The best solution is to repair the disc and not just focus on alleviating the pain.
A very common misunderstanding about sciatica pain is that many who use oral medication and other temporary means to relieve pain feel that because the pain is gone the condition has been repaired. The truth of the matter is that if the disc is not repaired then the degeneration can continue and the pain returns with even more intensity. The most effective means to alleviate the pain for good is to repair the disc using precise sciatica stretches and exercises that helps the body to actually repair itself.