Causes and Treatment Of Sciatica & Sciatic Pain

Sciatic pain, sciatic nerve pain or sciatica as it is generally called, can be very debilitating, which is hardly surprising when you consider that the sciatic nerve is the longest one in the body. It stretches from the middle of the lower back, then down the back of both legs and into the feet. This means that there is a lot of nerve that is sensitive to the pain, and it can cause a great deal of distress. This article will talk about ways to treat the pain effectively, along with other information about sciatic pain.

Of course, one of the first things you must do when you feel pain is to get the pain diagnosed by your medical doctor, and follow the routine that he or she suggests, but once you know that the problem is sciatica, you can then treat it as soon as possible. As with most swelling and inflammation, ice is used to treat sciatic pain, but how do you know where to place the ice when the sciatic nerve is so long?

For most people the problem of sciatic pain starts in the lower back, with the pain just following down the nerve into the leg and foot. Get out your icing pack as soon as you feel the first twinges of sciatic pain, and place it on your lower back for about ten minutes every hour or two. By icing this often, you can hopefully reduce the inflammation and swelling before it causes you too much pain.

Now, obviously, you need to know what is causing your pain. If you are pregnant, then sciatica could be caused by the position of your baby which is trapping the sciatic nerve. Excess weight could cause this problem too, and herniated discs could put pressure on the sciatic nerve and give you sciatica discomfort and pain. Often this pain is said to be a burning sensation, or a dull or numb feeling, depending on what is happening to the sciatic nerve.

In cases of spondylolesthesis, life-long sciatic pain may be inevitable unless the sufferer undergoes surgery for the condition. Unless there is no alternative, surgeons prefer not to operate on backs because of the risks. The spinal cord runs through the bony spine and through this cord nerve impulses are transmitted from the brain to all other areas of the body. Damage to the spinal cord can lead to paralysis, amongst other problems, so you can understand the surgeons reluctance to operate.

So, what can you do to relieve the pressure, and the pain of sciatica? Well, icing is recommended especially during the first 48 hours of any flare-up of sciatic pain. In the past, bed rest was recommended by the medical profession, but there have been studies which show that this is not as effective as was once thought. In fact, quite recently a Dutch study found that bed rest gave no more relief than movement.

Some doctors, in fact, now believe that staying at least a little active is beneficial, as it keeps the other muscles in the back and stomach strong.This doesn't mean that you should go to the gym for a workout when you are suffering with sciatic pain. The routine becomes one of icing, resting some, going for a short walk, icing, provided the walking doesn't increase the pain level. Any walks you take should not be long initially, as you do not want to aggravate your condition, but hopefully you will be able to lengthen the distance as the pain subsides.It could be a walk to the end of the street, or around the block, something that is not too far and doesn't cause more leg pain, but again, check with your doctor about what is right for you.

You should see your doctor to see if exercising is an appropriate activity for you, and ask what exercises would help your back condition.

When you see your medical professional, they make recommend that you take some ibuprofen to help you deal with the sciatic pain as it is an anti-inflammatory, although in some cases codeine may be necessary. In rare cases injections of cortisone into the space around the sciatic nerve are used, but this is a temporary solution only, and cannot be used repeatedly.

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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC '-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN' 'http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd'><html><head><title>Look For Articles - Articles Directory | Causes and Treatment Of Sciatica & Sciatic Pain</title></head><body><h3>Causes and Treatment Of Sciatica & Sciatic Pain</h3><br><br> By: Steve Jackson<br><br><p><p>Sciatic pain, sciatic nerve pain or sciatica as it is generally called, can be very debilitating, which is hardly surprising when you consider that the sciatic nerve is the longest one in the body. It stretches from the middle of the lower back, then down the back of both legs and into the feet. This means that there is a lot of nerve that is sensitive to the pain, and it can cause a great deal of distress. This article will talk about ways to treat the pain effectively, along with other information about sciatic pain.</P><p>Of course, one of the first things you must do when you feel pain is to get the pain diagnosed by your medical doctor, and follow the routine that he or she suggests, but once you know that the problem is sciatica, you can then treat it as soon as possible. As with most swelling and inflammation, ice is used to treat sciatic pain, but how do you know where to place the ice when the sciatic nerve is so long?</P><p>For most people the problem of sciatic pain starts in the lower back, with the pain just following down the nerve into the leg and foot. Get out your icing pack as soon as you feel the first twinges of sciatic pain, and place it on your lower back for about ten minutes every hour or two. By icing this often, you can hopefully reduce the inflammation and swelling before it causes you too much pain.</P><p>Now, obviously, you need to know what is causing your pain. If you are pregnant, then sciatica could be caused by the position of your baby which is trapping the sciatic nerve. Excess weight could cause this problem too, and herniated discs could put pressure on the sciatic nerve and give you sciatica discomfort and pain. Often this pain is said to be a burning sensation, or a dull or numb feeling, depending on what is happening to the sciatic nerve.</P><p>In cases of spondylolesthesis, life-long sciatic pain may be inevitable unless the sufferer undergoes surgery for the condition. Unless there is no alternative, surgeons prefer not to operate on backs because of the risks. The spinal cord runs through the bony spine and through this cord nerve impulses are transmitted from the brain to all other areas of the body. Damage to the spinal cord can lead to paralysis, amongst other problems, so you can understand the surgeons reluctance to operate.</P><p>So, what can you do to relieve the pressure, and the pain of sciatica? Well, icing is recommended especially during the first 48 hours of any flare-up of sciatic pain. In the past, bed rest was recommended by the medical profession, but there have been studies which show that this is not as effective as was once thought. In fact, quite recently a Dutch study found that bed rest gave no more relief than movement.</P><p>Some doctors, in fact, now believe that staying at least a little active is beneficial, as it keeps the other muscles in the back and stomach strong.This doesn't mean that you should go to the gym for a workout when you are suffering with sciatic pain. The routine becomes one of icing, resting some, going for a short walk, icing, provided the walking doesn't increase the pain level. Any walks you take should not be long initially, as you do not want to aggravate your condition, but hopefully you will be able to lengthen the distance as the pain subsides.It could be a walk to the end of the street, or around the block, something that is not too far and doesn't cause more leg pain, but again, check with your doctor about what is right for you.</P><p>You should see your doctor to see if exercising is an appropriate activity for you, and ask what exercises would help your back condition.</P><p>When you see your medical professional, they make recommend that you take some ibuprofen to help you deal with the sciatic pain as it is an anti-inflammatory, although in some cases codeine may be necessary. In rare cases injections of cortisone into the space around the sciatic nerve are used, but this is a temporary solution only, and cannot be used repeatedly.<br></P></p> <br><br> <b>Author Resource:-></b>  For <a href="http://treatmentofsciatica.com" target="_blank">sciatic pain sufferers</a>, the thought of exercise doesn't really appeal, but for some, this can help, if it is dome properly without causing more aggravation to the sciatic nerve. Click the link above for more information on the treatment of sciatica (treatmentofsciatica.com) <br> <br><br><b>Article From</b> <a href='http://www.look4articles.com/'>Look For Articles - Articles Directory</a><br></body></html>