Do you often feel inflammation, nerve compression or irritation in your lower back? Chances are you are suffering from sciatic back pain. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the data for 2017-18 shows that 4 million Australians, apart from you, endure lower back pain sometime during their life. Sciatica is a major cause of this discomfort. That may not compare to the 40% of people experiencing this agony in the US, but it counts in some way or the other.
How to know for sure if you have sciatica? Does it suddenly develop? Who is more likely to be at risk? We know you have a lot of questions in mind. We have happily addressed them in this mini guide to clear your doubts.
What is Meant by Sciatica?
It is a kind of nerve pain occurring from an injury to the sciatic nerve. This nerve begins in the lower spine and travels down the hip and buttock area to the back of the leg. The pain induced by it can either hit you as sharp with jolts of pain or as a burning sensation. The feeling worsens when someone with sciatic back pain stands or sits down after a long time. A sudden body movement, such as a sneeze or a cough, intensifies the agony.
Who is at Greater Risk?
People with the following conditions are more at risk of developing sciatic pain than others:
- Diabetes
- Smoking habit
- Lack of strong core
- A history of injury
- Overweight
- Osteoarthritis
- Living a sedentary lifestyle
- Improper posture in the weight room
- An active physical job
What are its Symptoms?
Look for the following warning signs:
- Lower back pain, where the discomfort can be moderate or severe
- Loss of movement as the pain worsens with mobility
- A sensation of pins and needles
- Losing control of bladder and bowel
How Do Healthcare Providers Diagnose it?
A combination of physical, imaging and other tests helps healthcare providers diagnose sciatica. It begins with reviewing medical history, enquiring about symptoms, followed by a straight leg test and walking to check how your spine carries your weight. Depending on the results, your doctor may prescribe the tests below:
- CT scans or MRI
- Myelogram
- Spinal X-rays
- Nerve conduction velocity studies
How is it Treated?
We can go about explaining the standard treatment options like spinal injections, prescription medicines and physical therapy. However, we would like to capture the unique methods adopted by osteopaths and chiropractors:
- Exploring the pain pathway to determine the nerves which have been affected.
- They add stability and work on the posture as well as the core strength to reduce cases of injury and damage.
- Focus on muscle sets to prevent hip flexor muscles from tightening.
The treatment aimed at sciatica pain relief will focus on you as a whole and not the region. It also includes the usage of traction and personalised functional exercises to build stability and strengthen the core.
Wrapping up:
Be it acute or chronic, sciatica pain relief is possible through weight management, back care and improvement in general physical conditions. Take the advice of a healthcare provider if self-care measures fail to relieve you of the agony or if the pain lasts more than a week. Five Dock Osteopathic & Chiropractic clinic, based in Canada Bay of Sydney’s Inner West, is the go-to destination for those in quest of the unique treatment method as discussed in the post. Interested ones may book an appointment and seek help from healthcare professionals.