Exploring Options For Curing Sciatica
Curing sciatica begins with testing and complete diagnosis.
Your doctor will research your medical history and conduct a physical examination.
The examination will be focused on the health of your spine, legs, and muscle reflexes.
If the physician thinks that it's necessary, you will also undergo imaging tests such as a spinal x-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or computerized tomography (CT)scan.
A spinal X-ray can detect problems related to a herniated disk or damage on the nerves.
MRI is proven effective in evaluating the sciatic nerve condition.
A CT scan can create images of the spine so that the doctors can thoroughly assess the sciatic nerve.
After getting a diagnosis and knowing the cause of your sciatica, it is time to look for ways of curing it.
The use of cold and hot packs and over-the counter narcotics will just diminish the inflammation and the pain, but they do not resolve the underlying cause.
Your doctor may recommend stronger prescription drugs for curing sciatica.
These drugs are oftentimes anti-inflammatory, antidepressant and anticonvulsant.
They encourage the brain to produce endorphin, which will block pain receptors.
Another common combination of drugs is called "The Triple Cocktail.
" It consists of a muscle relaxer, an anti-inflammatory, and a pain-killer all taken together.
It is a very strong combination, and should be taken only with caution and care.
Motor skills, reflexes and even speech can be temporarily impaired, but it has proven to be a very effective combination.
Some health providers also recommend curing sciatica through specific exercise routines provided by Yoga, Pilates and other exercises.
These disciplines provide gentle stretching exercises intended for the lower back and legs.
The objective of these postures or movements is to relieve stress and compression of the sciatic nerve.
However, over stretching the nerves can cause more harm than good.
This is why you should perform the exercises under the supervision of a qualified Yoga or Pilates trainer.
Specialists in Chiropractic medicine and physical therapy can design a therapy and rehabilitation program that will help in curing sciatica completely.
These programs are not only geared towards curing sciatica, but they provide measures to prevent recurrent sciatica.
Some specific exercises in treatment programs are muscle strengthening and flexibility, and posture correction motions.
Oftentimes, physical therapy sessions and exercises are integrated in the treatment program to complement each other.
Physical therapy has been proven to be a vital element in curing sciatica if the root cause is a herniated disc.
Curing sciatica through more aggressive treatment procedures is the option for those who have a severe diagnosis.
There will also be instances when conservative measures are not successful in alleviating sciatica within months.
One aggressive treatment is called epidural steroid injections.
The injection contains corticosteroid substances that decrease the inflammation on the nerve.
Epidural steroid injection is more elaborate and invasive, but it is still not proven to be an absolute sciatica cure.
For the more serious nerve compression condition, surgery is the option.
This is probably the final choice for a patient because of the cost and risk involved in the procedure.
Examples of the procedures are microdiskectomy and diskectomy.
Curing sciatica through a diskectomy involves removing the herniated disk particles that cause compression on the sciatic nerve.
Microdiskectomy is a procedure performed by the surgeon with the aid of a microscope.
It is considered to be the less painful surgery for curing sciatica.
What is ideal is to make as little adjustments as possible and not disrupt the normal spinal disc structure.
Both surgery procedures have good success rates.
So how severe your sciatica pain is, and how frequently you are suffering will be two of the major factors when you and your doctor decide on a treatment program that is right for you.
Your doctor will research your medical history and conduct a physical examination.
The examination will be focused on the health of your spine, legs, and muscle reflexes.
If the physician thinks that it's necessary, you will also undergo imaging tests such as a spinal x-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or computerized tomography (CT)scan.
A spinal X-ray can detect problems related to a herniated disk or damage on the nerves.
MRI is proven effective in evaluating the sciatic nerve condition.
A CT scan can create images of the spine so that the doctors can thoroughly assess the sciatic nerve.
After getting a diagnosis and knowing the cause of your sciatica, it is time to look for ways of curing it.
The use of cold and hot packs and over-the counter narcotics will just diminish the inflammation and the pain, but they do not resolve the underlying cause.
Your doctor may recommend stronger prescription drugs for curing sciatica.
These drugs are oftentimes anti-inflammatory, antidepressant and anticonvulsant.
They encourage the brain to produce endorphin, which will block pain receptors.
Another common combination of drugs is called "The Triple Cocktail.
" It consists of a muscle relaxer, an anti-inflammatory, and a pain-killer all taken together.
It is a very strong combination, and should be taken only with caution and care.
Motor skills, reflexes and even speech can be temporarily impaired, but it has proven to be a very effective combination.
Some health providers also recommend curing sciatica through specific exercise routines provided by Yoga, Pilates and other exercises.
These disciplines provide gentle stretching exercises intended for the lower back and legs.
The objective of these postures or movements is to relieve stress and compression of the sciatic nerve.
However, over stretching the nerves can cause more harm than good.
This is why you should perform the exercises under the supervision of a qualified Yoga or Pilates trainer.
Specialists in Chiropractic medicine and physical therapy can design a therapy and rehabilitation program that will help in curing sciatica completely.
These programs are not only geared towards curing sciatica, but they provide measures to prevent recurrent sciatica.
Some specific exercises in treatment programs are muscle strengthening and flexibility, and posture correction motions.
Oftentimes, physical therapy sessions and exercises are integrated in the treatment program to complement each other.
Physical therapy has been proven to be a vital element in curing sciatica if the root cause is a herniated disc.
Curing sciatica through more aggressive treatment procedures is the option for those who have a severe diagnosis.
There will also be instances when conservative measures are not successful in alleviating sciatica within months.
One aggressive treatment is called epidural steroid injections.
The injection contains corticosteroid substances that decrease the inflammation on the nerve.
Epidural steroid injection is more elaborate and invasive, but it is still not proven to be an absolute sciatica cure.
For the more serious nerve compression condition, surgery is the option.
This is probably the final choice for a patient because of the cost and risk involved in the procedure.
Examples of the procedures are microdiskectomy and diskectomy.
Curing sciatica through a diskectomy involves removing the herniated disk particles that cause compression on the sciatic nerve.
Microdiskectomy is a procedure performed by the surgeon with the aid of a microscope.
It is considered to be the less painful surgery for curing sciatica.
What is ideal is to make as little adjustments as possible and not disrupt the normal spinal disc structure.
Both surgery procedures have good success rates.
So how severe your sciatica pain is, and how frequently you are suffering will be two of the major factors when you and your doctor decide on a treatment program that is right for you.