SCIATIC PAIN - CAUSES AND TREATMENT

OSCM Featured Product for Natural Relief from Sciatica:

Find relief from Sciatica - without drugs or surgery - through gentle exercises and healthful choices of how you move throughout your day

As an author, Feldenkais® Practitioner, and exercise teacher for those with physical challenges,  Pamela Kihm helps people discover more healthful movement options. Frequently her clients find that subtle modifications to regimens prescribed by the medical community make those exercises noticably less painful and markedly more effective.

Stop Sciatica Now is based on Pamela’s experience helping clients since graduating from the 1000+ hour Feldenkrais Method® of Somatic Education training in 1991. This book project was proposed by one of Pamela’s former clients who was able to eliminate her debilitating sciatica in 1996, and has found permanent relief from sciatica by following the advice Pamela shares in her book, "Stop Sciatica Now".

According to Jean-Jacques Abitbol, MD, FRCSC, Orthopaedic Surgeon from the California Spine Group, MC in San Diego, CA; there are six main causes of sciatic nerve pain:

• a herniated or bulging disc (disc material presses against an adjacent nerve root, compressing delicate nerve tissue in doing so, causing sciatica)
• lumbar spinal stenosis (frequently brought on by standing or walking and is relieved by sitting down. Here the nerve passageways become narrow or clogged which causes the nerve compression)
• spondylolisthesis (one vertebra slips forward over an adjacent one; i.e. a slipped disc)
• trauma (accidents causing spinal problems)
• piriformis syndrome (the piriformis muscle irritates the sciatic nerve by compressing it)
• spinal tumors (these can develop in the lumbar region and compress the sciatic nerve)

In summary, various spinal disorders are the main causes of sciatica, which in turn is a consequence of Sciatic nerve compression from herniated discs, slipped discs, tumors, etc. The piriformis muscle can also compress and irritate the sciatic nerve (i.e. muscular compression of the nerve). Therefore, two main conclusions can be drawn from the above information:

1. Sciatic Nerve pain is NOT a disorder, but a symptom of a disorder.
2. It occurs mainly when something, be it bone, muscle, etc., is compressing the sciatic nerve.

Possible Sciatic Treatment

Medication

Taking pain killers can give you temporary relief from sciatica. They are, at best, symptomatic sciatic treatment, but the root problem remains unsolved. You end up having to depend on drugs for the rest of your life. Many pharmaceutical drugs cause addiction and your body can become immune to their effects leading to the need of larger dosis or stronger drugs to relieve the same amount of pain.

Surgery

In the case of some trauma (due to accidents or violence), there may be no other choice but to submit a patient to surgery for relief from sciatica, but in many other cases, this is not the best option due to the delicate nature of these operations, which can end up leaving the patient even worse afterwards.

All surgery implies a risk factor and the spinal column is a very delicate part of our bodies which is not to be tampered with unless we have had a second, or third expert medical opinion. In most cases, doctors (and common sense) will advise us to look into other options before taking  any chances on surgery.

Chiropractic Treatment

Chiropractic care involves spinal adjustments for relief from sciatica. The manipulation of the spine frees restricted movement and helps to restore misaligned vertebrae to their proper position in the spinal column. But Sciatica can also be caused by other disorders beyond the scope of chiropractic practice, so a proper diagnosis of the root problem is in order before proceeding.

Natural Remedies

Now, more than ever before, people are shying away from drugs and unnecessary health risks for relief from sciatica. Of course, YOU are the best judge as to whether something has worked or is working for you. Who is tell you that you are not feeling pain when you really are?

These methods include herbs for relief from sciatica, special comfort pillows or aids and special exercises designed to strengthen muscles and educate your body to move painlessly and increase your efficiency.

Herbal remedies for pain relief fall into the same category as prescription pain killers in that they treat the symptoms (pain in this case), but not the main cause, so it is just a matter of time until the symptoms return again.

Comfort pillows as well as other orthopedic aids can help you relax better in certain positions, but you don't spend all of your time in bed or sitting in a specially designed chair all day. Mobility is important, so you need to learn what to do to correct it and avoid Sciatica attacks.