Sciatica can be a life altering condition, and past treatment options have failed to bring relief. A new treatment option is providing relief in most cases, without the risk associated with surgery.
Sciatica is the the term used to identify pain running down the leg, it is irritation of the actual sciatic nerve as it exits the spine at various levels. The sciatic nerve is actually made up of several different nerves joining together to form one large nerve. The most likely cause of sciatica is a herniated or bulging disc in the lower back. The discs are thick fibrous structures between each vertebrae that offer cushioning and spacing needed for the nerves to exit and the flexibility needed to move.
The disc is essentially made up of two materials an outer layer consistent with cartilage and a much softer inner portion almost gelatinous in nature. With wear and tear the outer fibers can weaken allowing the softer material to gradually migrate outwards. This in turn causes an out pouching or bulging of the disc which then can compromise the exiting nerve. When this occurs symptoms of sciatica can manifest. This may include pain, numbness and even weakness in the leg.
Traditional treatment programs for sciatica typically consist of pain medication, injections and in severe cases surgery. These approaches may work in the short term to reduce inflammation and decrease the pain somewhat, however they also carry with them significant risk. The risk to reward benefit is often not worth it long term as most of these treatment are only temporary. If the problem becomes more severe and the nerve is actually compressed then these treatments may offer no relief at all.
Steroid injections are one of the most common treatments utilized for severe sciatica as we have outlined previously. The goal of the injection is to reduce inflammation and soothe the surrounding areas. The problem is that the injection is only temporary and offers no real long term benefit for the patient. Side effect can include spinal headaches, a rebound pain phenomenon and a spike in blood sugar in diabetics. The relief obtained can sometimes be worth the risk, however a proactive approach must be coupled with the short term pain relief.
In extreme cases of unrelenting sciatica surgery may be recommended and in a small number of cases may be an appropriate treatment. However, the overall success rate for disc related surgery is poor at only about 50% and in many cases the problem may worsen after surgery resulting in a condition called failed back surgery syndrome. This complication may arise from post surgical scarring, spinal instability, and increased stress on adjacent discs. It is very common to require another surgery in later years.
One of the newest and most effective treatments for sciatica is Spinal Decompression. This technology uses a patented computer system that is able to gently distract the spine and bypass the muscle guarding response, thus creating a negative pressure in the disc. This negative pressure draws in fluid and nutrition so the disc can heal, while also reducing herniated and bulging material to take pressure off the nerve to reduce pain. The technology has over an 80% success rate and doesn't bring with it the risk of side effect associated with other treatments. It also treats the cause of the sciatica reducing the chances of another episode down the road.
As research continues to pour in on spinal decompression, the benefits of this technology are more and more evident. It represents a real option for many suffering from sciatica to truly correct the problem and remain pain free. Although there are some that spinal decompression is not indicated for, many will find long lastly and highly effective relief from spinal decompression. - 15437
Sciatica is the the term used to identify pain running down the leg, it is irritation of the actual sciatic nerve as it exits the spine at various levels. The sciatic nerve is actually made up of several different nerves joining together to form one large nerve. The most likely cause of sciatica is a herniated or bulging disc in the lower back. The discs are thick fibrous structures between each vertebrae that offer cushioning and spacing needed for the nerves to exit and the flexibility needed to move.
The disc is essentially made up of two materials an outer layer consistent with cartilage and a much softer inner portion almost gelatinous in nature. With wear and tear the outer fibers can weaken allowing the softer material to gradually migrate outwards. This in turn causes an out pouching or bulging of the disc which then can compromise the exiting nerve. When this occurs symptoms of sciatica can manifest. This may include pain, numbness and even weakness in the leg.
Traditional treatment programs for sciatica typically consist of pain medication, injections and in severe cases surgery. These approaches may work in the short term to reduce inflammation and decrease the pain somewhat, however they also carry with them significant risk. The risk to reward benefit is often not worth it long term as most of these treatment are only temporary. If the problem becomes more severe and the nerve is actually compressed then these treatments may offer no relief at all.
Steroid injections are one of the most common treatments utilized for severe sciatica as we have outlined previously. The goal of the injection is to reduce inflammation and soothe the surrounding areas. The problem is that the injection is only temporary and offers no real long term benefit for the patient. Side effect can include spinal headaches, a rebound pain phenomenon and a spike in blood sugar in diabetics. The relief obtained can sometimes be worth the risk, however a proactive approach must be coupled with the short term pain relief.
In extreme cases of unrelenting sciatica surgery may be recommended and in a small number of cases may be an appropriate treatment. However, the overall success rate for disc related surgery is poor at only about 50% and in many cases the problem may worsen after surgery resulting in a condition called failed back surgery syndrome. This complication may arise from post surgical scarring, spinal instability, and increased stress on adjacent discs. It is very common to require another surgery in later years.
One of the newest and most effective treatments for sciatica is Spinal Decompression. This technology uses a patented computer system that is able to gently distract the spine and bypass the muscle guarding response, thus creating a negative pressure in the disc. This negative pressure draws in fluid and nutrition so the disc can heal, while also reducing herniated and bulging material to take pressure off the nerve to reduce pain. The technology has over an 80% success rate and doesn't bring with it the risk of side effect associated with other treatments. It also treats the cause of the sciatica reducing the chances of another episode down the road.
As research continues to pour in on spinal decompression, the benefits of this technology are more and more evident. It represents a real option for many suffering from sciatica to truly correct the problem and remain pain free. Although there are some that spinal decompression is not indicated for, many will find long lastly and highly effective relief from spinal decompression. - 15437
About the Author:
Dr. Randall Pruitt is a board certified chiropractic neurologist. He was one of the first doctors to use Spinal Decompression In Phoenix Arizona. He utilizes the DRX9000 in his practice to achieve results for the treatment of Sciatica In Phoenix
