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Archive for the ‘Sciatica’ Category

Usually, sciatica can be successfully treated by a brief period of rest and limited activity, followed by exercises to improve mobility and strengthen the back. If symptoms persist, physical therapy can help. To relieve inflammation around the nerve, your doctor may recommend alternate hot and cold compresses.

You may also need to take acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain or anti-inflammatories such as naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox), ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil and others) or aspirin for pain and inflammation. Medications used to treat chronic nerve pain may be helpful. These include amitriptyline (Elavil, Endep) or gabapentin (Neurontin). Read the rest of this entry »

Once the pain of sciatica is gone, there are exercises, stretches and other measures that can prevent recurrence. A physiotherapist (physical therapist) can develop a complete and personalized. There are some steps you can take at the moment:

- Practice good posture. Stand straight with your ears aligned with shoulders, these in turn aligned with the hips and buttocks tucked in.. The knees should be slightly bent.

- Do abdominal exercises. These exercises strengthen the abdominal muscles that help support the lower back. Lie on your back on the floor, hands behind head and knees bent. Press the lower back against the floor, lift your shoulders up to about 10 inches (25.4 cm) above the floor and then lower. Repeat 10 to 20 times, once per day. Read the rest of this entry »

The doctor will assess your symptoms and your complete medical history and ask if you have pain in your lower back extending into the leg and if you have weakness in the muscle of the leg or foot. Also want to know if you have had an injury, fever, trouble controlling their bowels (to evacuate) or to control your bladder, if you had cancer of some sort in the past and if you have been losing weight. These questions are important because if these symptoms occur, the cause of sciatica can be a serious condition such as infection or fracture a bone.

Your doctor will examine particular attention to the spine and legs. To detect problems in the spine and associated nerves, your doctor may ask you to perform a series of tests to evaluate the muscle strength, reflexes and flexibility. Read the rest of this entry »

Sciatica describes persistent pain felt along the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back, down through the buttock (gluteus) to the bottom of the leg. This is the longest nerve in the body. The pain occurs when this nerve is compressed or injured. Most often, due to inflammation, bone widening (bone) due to arthritis or a displacement (herniation) of a disk in the bottom of the spine. Read the rest of this entry »