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Sciatica
How to relieve sciatic nerve pain
How to alleviate sciatica pain. First, it is necessary to rest in bed absolutely, especially sleeping on a firm bed. While sleeping on a firm bed, you can also pad a soft pad in the lumbar area and place a soft pillow under the knee joints. The main purpose is to keep the knee and hip joints in a flexed state, allowing the muscles in the lower back to fully relax. Second, you can take some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers orally. Third, you can use traction therapy. Traction therapy is very effective for relieving sciatica pain as it can reduce the pressure inside the disc and expand the volume of the spinal canal, thus alleviating the stimulation and compression of the nerve roots. Fourth, you can consider undergoing physiotherapy, massage, and manipulation. However, aggressive massage is not recommended. Fifth, you can undergo intradiscal blockade or sacral canal injections. Sixth, you can perform nucleoplasty, which involves injecting collagenase into the intervertebral disc, or between the dura mater and the protruding nucleus pulposus. This often requires the intervention of a pain specialist. Therefore, after the aforementioned treatments, sciatica pain should generally be alleviated. If there is no relief or if symptoms worsen, then surgical treatment may be necessary.
Which department should I register for sciatica?
Sciatica is divided into primary and secondary types. Primary sciatica is caused by inflammation of the sciatic nerve itself, thus one should visit the Department of Neurology. Secondary sciatica is more common and usually stems from spinal conditions, so initially one should visit the Department of Spinal Surgery. Alternatively, one can visit the Department of Orthopedics, which deals with broader orthopedic issues. If experiencing severe acute pain, a visit to the Pain Management Department can provide rapid and effective pain relief. For frequent episodes of sciatica and interest in rehabilitation, the Rehabilitation Department can be considered. Additionally, traditional Chinese medicine has unique approaches to treating sciatica, so visiting the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine to try treatments with Chinese herbs and methods is also an option.
What to check for sciatica
Sciatica is divided into primary sciatica and secondary sciatica. Secondary sciatica is very common and is mainly due to diseases of the spinal canal, including herniated lumbar discs, lumbar spinal stenosis, or spinal tumors compressing the spinal cord and nerve roots. Another condition is piriformis syndrome, where the sciatic nerve exits; if there is narrowing here, it can also cause sciatica. Therefore, clinically, one starts with secondary sciatica, conducting either a lumbar spine CT scan or an MRI, which can basically clarify the location causing the compression. Another type is called primary sciatica, which is caused by inflammation of the sciatic nerve, and is an internal medicine disease, not an orthopedic disease. This requires an electromyography (EMG). After completing the EMG, the diagnosis can generally be made based on the injured muscle or the muscle with abnormal electromotor conduction. Thus, the routine examinations for sciatica are X-rays, CT, MRI, and the non-routine examination is the EMG.
Is it sciatica?
It should be noted that the incidence of sciatic nerve pain is still very high in clinical settings, and there are many causes which can lead to severe pain when it occurs. Common causes of sciatic nerve pain include conditions like sciatic neuritis, which can result in patient discomfort, as well as lumbar disc herniation, lumbar spondylolisthesis, lumbar spinal stenosis, and lumbar tumors. Compression of the spinal nerves can also lead to sciatic nerve pain. Additionally, piriformis syndrome can cause sciatic nerve pain in patients. Determining the specific cause requires a physical examination along with some auxiliary tests to make a clear diagnosis, after which active symptomatic treatment can be completely effective.
Where to treat sciatica?
Sciatica is relatively common among the general population. Its symptoms manifest as numbness, swelling, and weakness in one leg. The most common cause is herniation of the lumbar intervertebral disc, which compresses the nerve roots resulting in these symptoms. Therefore, when such symptoms occur, it is necessary to seek treatment at a formal medical institution. One could visit the orthopedics department, or if the hospital has specialized departments, it is best to consult the department of spinal surgery.