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Sciatica
Can sciatica patients walk?
Sciatica can be managed with activities like walking, brisk walking, or jogging. It is best to walk or even walk backwards. It is important to avoid sitting for long periods, bending over, or carrying heavy objects. When the spine is bent, it can increase the pressure on the intervertebral discs, potentially worsening the nucleus pulposus, rupturing the annulus fibrosus, and causing a series of symptoms related to nerve root compression. This compression can cause local swelling, which can press on the nerves to varying degrees. It is recommended to strictly rest on a hard bed, and generally, with about ten days to two weeks of warming up the lower back, recovery is usually achievable. Gradual relief and disappearance of symptoms can occur, and it is advisable to avoid sitting for long periods, bending, or carrying heavy loads. Moderate walking is suitable.
Can sciatica patients run?
The pain of the sciatic nerve is generally caused by degeneration of the intervertebral disc. The nucleus pulposus protrudes through the rupture of the fibrous ring of the degenerated disc, compressing the nerve root, which leads to symptoms such as sciatic nerve pain, numbness, and even restricted movement when walking. The intervertebral disc serves to absorb shocks and cushion the pressure on the lower back. During running, the load on the lower back increases, which could potentially exacerbate the symptoms of sciatic nerve pain. Therefore, it is best to avoid running exercises when sciatic nerve pain is caused by degeneration of the intervertebral disc.
Where to perform moxibustion for sciatica
Typical sciatica, in addition to soreness and numbness in the buttocks, is accompanied by sensory abnormalities in the back of the thigh, the back of the calf, the lateral muscles, and the foot. Thus, the location for moxibustion treatment spans from the buttocks to the thigh and calf, targeting corresponding traditional Chinese medicine acupoints progressively. This can alleviate, to some extent, the sensory abnormalities in the buttocks and lower limbs caused by sciatica. It is recommended to concurrently take oral medications that nourish the nerves to collectively reduce symptoms and shorten the duration of the illness. If there is no significant relief after two to four weeks of treatment, it is advised to revisit the hospital for further examination and treatment. Hospitalization for systematic treatment may be necessary.
What is the fastest way to treat sciatica?
When pain occurs in the sciatic nerve, the first thing we need to consider is whether it is caused by degeneration of the intervertebral disc. Accompanied by the rupture of the fibrous ring, it protrudes and compresses the nerve root, causing pain and numbness in the lower limbs, and even limited mobility. Once sciatic nerve pain occurs, it is essential to identify the cause so that treatment can begin as soon as possible. If it is due to degeneration of the intervertebral disc, early stages can involve back exercises and appropriate medication to alleviate these symptoms. For example, sleeping on a firm bed, wearing a lumbar support during activities, minimizing sitting time, or avoiding bending over to pick things up. Additionally, you can perform exercises like the "bird flying" and the "plank bridge" for back muscle training to help reduce pain symptoms. If these do not alleviate the pain, pain relief or anti-inflammatory medications may be prescribed for symptomatic treatment.
How to relieve sciatic nerve pain
When experiencing sciatic nerve pain, it is important to first determine the cause. It may be due to a herniated disc compressing the nerve root, or it could be caused by piriformis syndrome. If the pain is caused by a herniated disc and it is the patient's first occurrence, a CT scan can be done. If the herniation is mild, conservative treatment may be chosen, such as wearing a lumbar support and performing some traction. Patients can also actively exercise their back muscles to alleviate the sciatic nerve pain. Additionally, it is recommended to sleep on a firm bed and spend more time lying down than sitting. If the herniation is severe, has been prolonged, or it recurs frequently, it is advised to seek professional treatment in orthopedics. If the pain is due to piriformis syndrome, a visit to a pain management clinic is suggested for symptomatic relief and pain alleviation.
What causes sciatica?
The causes of sciatica generally fall into two categories. The first is primary sciatica, which is usually caused by inflammation of the sciatic nerve and is relatively rare in clinical practice. The second category is secondary sciatica, which occurs when the tissues and structures around the sciatic nerve undergo pathological changes, leading to stimulation and compression of the sciatic nerve, thus causing secondary sciatica. The majority of secondary sciatica cases are associated with lumbar spine disorders, such as lumbar disc herniation, tumors in the lumbar spinal canal, or degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, as well as sacroiliitis. A hospital examination is necessary to make a definitive diagnosis.
What should I do about sciatica?
For sciatica, absolute bed rest is initially required, ideally lasting three weeks. If three weeks is not possible, at least one week is necessary. Secondly, continual traction is used, which can widen the intervertebral space, reduce the internal disk pressure, and potentially expand the spinal canal, thereby alleviating stimulation and compression of the nerve roots. Thirdly, you can take some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or some traditional Chinese medicines, many of which contain pain-relieving ingredients. Fourthly, consider undergoing physical therapy, including physiotherapy, acupressure, and massage. Fifthly, intradiscal injections, intradiscal blockade, or catheter blockade can be considered. Sixthly, chemical dissolution of the nucleus pulposus can be considered. Thus, these are the basic treatment methods for sciatica.
How to treat sciatica?
For sciatica, conservative treatment methods should first be adopted, which include the following five points: The first is general treatment; as soon as sciatica appears, immediately rest in bed, and the bed should be relatively hard. Second, you can apply heat to the lumbar area, use physical therapy, or acupuncture. Third, lumbar traction can be performed, which has a very clear effect in alleviating sciatica. Fourth, consider performing an intradiscal injection or sacral injection therapy, and chemical nucleolysis can also be performed. After the above treatments, if the symptoms and pain are reduced, you can start functional exercises for the lower back muscles. Functional exercises of the lower back muscles play a significant role in enhancing the stability of the lumbar spine. If the effect of the aforementioned treatments is not significant, or if the symptoms worsen, then surgical treatment may be necessary at this time.
Which department should I visit for sciatica?
Pain in the sciatic nerve first requires a visit to orthopedics or spinal surgery to look into whether the pain is caused by a herniated disc compressing the nerve root. If examinations or imaging studies find no abnormalities, we might consider the possibility of piriformis syndrome, or other reasons causing the nerve pain. You can then consult the pain management department to determine the cause and receive appropriate treatment, primarily involving orthopedics and pain management.
How to treat sciatica
Sciatica typically has two treatment methods. One is non-surgical treatment, which is currently the first and most commonly used approach. The first step is general treatment, meaning that once symptoms of sciatica occur, one should rest on a hard board bed. Second, one can combine this with some heat applications to the lumbar area, physical therapy, and acupuncture; all of these are options. The third is traction therapy, which is very effective for discogenic sciatica, as it can reduce the pressure on the intervertebral disc, thereby increasing the volume of the spinal canal and enlarging the area of the intervertebral foramen, thus reducing stimulation to the nerve. Fourth, one can consider undergoing sacral canal injections, or using papain or collagenase for chemical dissolution of the nucleus pulposus, which usually can also achieve a good effect. The fifth point is that when symptoms are reduced, one should start exercising the lumbar and back muscles to increase their strength and enhance the stability of the lumbar spine, thereby ensuring the stability of the intervertebral disc. It should be mentioned that massage and manipulation are quite effective for herniation of the disc nucleus pulposus, but if there is already obvious osteophyte formation, narrowing of the intervertebral space, or disorder of the facet joints, or even lumbar spinal stenosis, then massage and manipulation are not recommended. If the aforementioned treatments prove ineffective, the condition does not relieve or even worsens, or if there is central herniation of the lumbar disc, or if the patient shows significant cauda equina nerve stimulation symptoms, then surgical treatment is required.