The sciatic nerve is the largest in the human body. If the person has pain in the sciatic nerve, he has sciatica. At the occurrence of this disease is cramping of the sciatic nerve.
Symptoms
When it hurts the sciatic nerve, itself a painful feeling arises in various places. Can appear in the lumbar region, back of thigh, foot or calf.
When inflamed sciatic nerve, symptoms may occur in one leg or two. Sometimes the pain manifests as a burning sensation or tingling.
Can also be felt as numbness. These symptoms occur usually at the initial stage of the disease.
But when it hurts the sciatic nerve can cause pain, not allowing to sit, stand or sleep person. If pain in the sciatic nerve is a treacherous disease, accompanied by increasing pain attacks.
In acute, neglected disease, a person experiences terrible pain. It becomes difficult to breathe, to move.
The main symptoms of inflammation of the following:
- increasing pain in back of legs while sitting;
- pain when moving the leg;
- tingling or burning in the lower part of the limb;
- shooting pain in the standing position;
- not passing pain along the entire length of the limb.
Causes
To disease of the sciatic nerve can cause a number of reasons.
- Compression of the nerve is one of the common causes of the disease. The symptoms are quite different and depend on the cause of pinching. The nerve can sasemas when intervertebral hernia, osteochondrosis, spondylosis, pregnancy.
- Microtrauma, which is due to the physical load. Affects mostly people engaged in power sports.
- On the background of infectious diseases, infectious allergic diseases of the nervous system may manifest symptoms of the disease.
- When the disease with diabetes can also exhibit the symptoms of neuralgia.
- Chronic alcoholism is also one of the reasons.
Diagnosis
Using modern methods of diagnosis, doctors pinpoint the cause of neuralgia. It is also necessary to take into account the symptoms.
In the diagnosis in the first place recommend patients to do x-rays. It will provide an opportunity to obtain information about the condition of the vertebrae.
If you need information about the intervertebral joints, then x-rays must be done with functional tests.
In some cases, it is performed using a contrast fluid is injected into the spinal canal.
Soft tissue injuries are often not visible on x-ray, then for a more detailed diagnosis conduct research using magnetic resonance imaging.
MRI gives the opportunity to explore in detail how the structure of the bones and intervertebral discs. This diagnosis is essential to a deeper and more accurate examination of injuries, tumors, and hernia.
If damaged sciatic nerve, to determine the nature of nerve injury and the processes in it will help electromyography. This method is based on determining the bioelectrical activity of the muscle tissue during various types of stimulation.
To reduce pain
If you experience pain symptoms, you should consult a specialist. But pain can occur suddenly in the wrong place.
In such a situation, there are ways to ease such feelings independently.
- Not to lift heavy weight and not lean. Long time to sit, and better to abandon the seat on a low stool. This could amplify the discomfort.
- Not yet assigned treatment, you can apply anti-inflammatory drugs. But their use is possible only in the absence of allergies to some drugs.
- Substantial assistance can have a pose lying on a solid basis. Under your knees to put your pillow. This simple method will weaken the discomfort but take this attenuation is not very long.
- It is possible to place the. apply ice that will help in pain relief.
We should not overestimate these methods and forget that they are only a temporary pain reliever. If you do not assign treatment, sciatica is able long to bother people.
Treatment
The treatment of this disease, like many others, perhaps conservative and surgical method.
A conservative treatment method includes:
- the use of drugs;
- the limitation with the observance of rest;
- alternative treatment methods;
- treatment with manual therapy;
- treatment with the application of heat and cold.
The treatment was well conducted with drug blockade of the lesion analgesic medication. The blockade is carried out by applying a painkilling injection. Next, doctors can assign anti-inflammatory drugs.
The treatment of this disease successfully proceeds with the help of physical therapy. It includes electrophoresis, UHF – therapy, treatments with paraffin. This treatment reduces pain, warming the affected areas.
Throughout the body improves blood circulation. Treatment of swelling of the nerve can pass through hormones and also possible to use a supporting corset to relieve tension on the spine.
There are cases when conservative treatment does not bring the expected result. Then apply surgery for a radical solution to the problem.
Prevention
To prevent the occurrence of this disease should primarily cares for the health of your spine. Caution when lifting heavy items and cargo.
Caution is needed, especially people like athletes, drivers, porters. People faced with physical exertion, are at risk.
To avoid illness, it is first necessary to deal with basic exercises, to strengthen the spine. Also useful are classes in the pool.
Person needs to monitor their health. You need to keep your back straight, do not slouch, not to lean, not bend the spine.
In sedentary work need to take breaks every hour and perform the exercises, helping to unload the spine. Do exercises to stretch the muscles. Hypothermia is desirable to avoid.
