What Is Sciatica? Sciatica is a type of back pain that can range from mild discomfort to very severe, debilitating pain. The pain can be temporary and very short-lived or chronic and long-lasting.
In addition to affecting the back, it can also affect the hips, buttocks and lateral sides of the legs. It's one of the most common forms of back pain, and people of all different ages can suffer from this condition. A wide variety of causes may be responsible from injury to disease to simple muscle strain from an improper workout.
Just as there are many causes, there are also a variety of treatments. Today's treatment options include homeopathic, natural remedies like
acupuncture for sciatica. The different causes of the pain often determine the severity of the pain and amount of time required for recovery as well as the specific treatment approach needed to put an end to the pain.
A lot of people turn to pain medications to cope with their pain from sciatica. Medication is not always the best answer, although it is the most convenient. It has the potential for a lot of unwanted side-effects. More and more people today are turning to non-invasive physical therapy, which can help to treat some causes of sciatica. But sometimes the therapy can be quite painful - the pain itself makes it hard to heal.
Common Symptoms
The symptoms of sciatica vary from person to person. Specific symptoms, as well as severity of the pain, depend largely on the exact cause. The pain will almost always radiate from the lumbar region of your back, which is your lower back. The pain is most intense near the spine and then radiates down your backside, sometimes down the back of one of your legs and all the way down to the calf in some cases. The pain typically only affects one side of the body and not both.
Sciatic pain may be a continuous dull pain or may feel sort of like an occasional electric shock. It typically worsens when you sit down and may also be exacerbated by coughing, sneezing and other sudden movements. Instead of actual pain in the leg, it may also present itself as a slight tingling feeling or even numbness. Sometimes there is a combination of pain and numbness. The foot of the affected leg might feel weak or have a slight "pins and needles" sensation. A sciatica acupuncturist can help relieve many, if not all, sciatica symptoms regardless of the cause.
Other symptoms of sciatica can include: - a burning sensation down the back of one leg
- difficulty moving one leg, especially after sitting
- a regularly sore backside
- shooting pain up the leg or back upon standing
Common Causes
Sciatic pain is typically the result of a herniated disc in the back or a bone spur. These conditions can easily compress the sciatic nerve, which is a very sensitive nerve that runs down the spine and then the legs. The compression of this nerve leads to inflammation, pain and, depending up on the extent of the compression, may cause numbness or tingling. More severe nerve compression generally results in more severe symptoms and a longer recovery period.
This painful compression can be the result of a back injury like a slipped disc. Sometimes these injuries occur in car accidents or are sports-related. Improperly lifting a heavy object may also result in a mild case of sciatica that can last up to a week. The sciatic nerve might also be compressed by muscle strain from standing for prolonged periods of time. Rapid weight gain and pregnancy are also two other fairly common causes. Other causes include:
- spondylolisthesis
- degenerative disc diseases
- spinal stenosis
Mild sciatica will usually take care of itself with time. Moderate sciatica and worse may require a trip to the doctor to determine the underlying cause. Your pain may be severe or may inconvenience you enough that you need to take measures to relieve it.
Many people that suffer from sciatica find that the pain itself interferes with the healing process. Usually what the body needs most is rest, which can be difficult to get in our busy, fast-paced lives. Sciatic pain, though, can easily worsen to the point that it interferes with your day-to-day routine and makes you unable to work or do the things you enjoy.
How Acupuncture Can Help with Sciatica
Homeopathic remedies to relieve sciatic pain like visiting a sciatica acupuncturist are a very viable option available to sufferers today. A professional acupuncturist can help determine the best course of action while providing safe, fast and long-lasting pain relief. With the pain lessened or completely eliminated it becomes easier to take the necessary steps to recover and end the sciatica altogether.
Acupuncture for sciatica is one of the best options to deal with sciatic pain. It is both effective and safe, and much more affordable than surgery. Back surgery comes with a lot of risk and the recovery time can be long. Acupuncture has no side-effects and many sufferers experience relief right away just after one session. It can also work to relieve even the most severe symptoms.
If your sciatica is due to pregnancy, then you have very few options to deal with the pain. You won't be able to take pain medication and acupuncture is one of the only options available for relief. It's perfectly safe for your baby.
If your sciatic pain is caused by injury, then one of the first steps to recovery is getting pain relief. Sometimes even just resting can be difficult due to the pain. You may not be able to find a comfortable position to relax and your motion might be very limited in your physical therapy.
Relying heavily on medications comes with dangers, while acupuncture has no risks associated with it at all. Pairing acupuncture for sciatica with other remedies is extremely effective, lending itself to more rapid recovery times and a pain-free life.
