Enhance Your Mobility Through Sciatica Treatment

Your body comprises many nerves, and one of them is the sciatic nerve. When you experience pain in your legs while walking or lifting weights, your sciatic nerve may be experiencing some problems. The sciatica nerve sends movement signs. If you are experiencing this pain, Mason sciatica specialists at Elite Physical Medicine are there to offer you a solution. Book your consultation with them today by calling their office or through online booking.

What Should You Know About Sciatica?

What Is Sciatica?

Sciatica is nerve pain that occurs due to injury to the sciatic nerve. The pain is experienced in the legs while walking or lifting heavy objects. It causes numbness, irritation, or needle sensation in your legs.

What Does Sciatica Pain Feel Like?

Depending on the cause of the pain, people describe it in different ways. Some feel sharp pain, others say it is a burning or stabbing feeling. It occurs every time you make body movements.

What Are the Risk Factors for Sciatica?

You are at risk of developing sciatica due to the following reasons:

• Have an injury/previous injury on your lower back or spine.
• Aging leads to changes and shifting of the bones and ligaments.
• Being overweight causes your back to strain.
• Lack strong core muscles on the back and the abdomen that supports your back.
• Doing active physical jobs that require heavy lifting or prolonged sitting.
• Improper posture during weight lifting.

What Causes Sciatica?

Various medical conditions can cause sciatica. They include:

• Injury to the spine or sciatic nerve.
• Lumbar spinal canal tumor compressing the sciatic nerve.
• Degenerative disk disease causing the disk between the vertebrae to wear.

What Are the Symptoms of Sciatica?

The symptoms include:

• Moderate to severe pain in the lower back down your leg.
• Loss of bowel and bladder control.
• Numbness or weakness in your lower back.
• Pain that worsens with movement.

How Is Sciatica Diagnosed?

Your doctor will conduct a physical examination to determine your problem. He will conduct tests like raising your legs while they are in a straight posture to determine at which level the pain starts.

Other tests that the doctor might carry out are:

• X-rays of the spine to check any possibility of fractures, disk problems, or bone spurs.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to check the condition of the spine and the nerves.
• Nerve conduction velocity studies/electromyography. 

How Is Sciatica Treated?

The main aim of treating sciatica is to reduce pain and improve your mobility. Some treatments include:

• Using ice or hot packs to relieve swelling and pain.
• Taking over-the-counter medicines to reduce pain, inflammation, and swelling.
• Performing gentle stretches to strengthen your muscles.

Other treatment options include:

• Prescription medications.
• Physical therapy to find exercise movements that decrease sciatica by reducing pressure on the nerve.
• Spinal injections, such as anti-inflammatory medicine into the lower back, might help reduce the pain and swelling around the affected nerve roots.
• Surgery is recommended if all other methods fail.

Do not let sciatica affect your daily job. Make a choice of visiting the best specialist who will address your problem, restoring your normal life. Please book a consultation by calling their office or making an online booking.