If you have ever experienced the intense sciatica pain running from your lower back down your legs then you know what it is like to be looking for relief of that pain as quickly as possible. There are many different ways to relieve pain things like anti inflammatory drugs, exercise, pain killers, surgical and non surgical treatments have all been used to relieve sciatica symptoms.
Not every persons pain will require something as drastic as surgery. In fact most sciatica sufferers seldom require surgery and are usually treated with some kind of pain killer. Mild cases will usually respond well to over the counter pain medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Many patients are prescribed some type of non steroidal anti inflammatory medication to treat the symptoms of sciatica or other lower back pain. If these medications prove ineffective then stronger pain medications such as codeine may be used to find relief. Unfortunately most of those types of medications carry risks such as dependency, lethargy and a general sense of drowsiness that can interfere with daily tasks such as driving or certain work tasks.
One of the best ways to find a longer term reduction in sciatica symptoms is a reasonable exercise program. Using the correct exercises you can retrain your muscles and they will become stronger and more relaxed which can remove the pressure on the sciatic nerve that passes through them. Depending on the source of the pain and the effectiveness of other methods a physician may suggest some type of surgical procedure. If the pain is due to herniated discs a microdisectomy may be considered. This procedure is designed to remove whatever is pressing against the sciatic nerve causing the problem.
Sometimes spinal stenosis is causing the pain in the sciatic nerve. Spinal stenosis is the compression of the nerve and is usually resolved by a procedure called Lumbar Laminectomy. This procedure is intended to increase the space around the nerve bundle at the vertebra in the spinal column by removing a small section of the bone.
A diskectomy is sometimes called for to relieve back pain. This is probably the oldest surgery used for relief and involves the removal of the disk that is causing the problem. Many times a disk is damaged through trauma or disease and removal of that disk is the only way to relieve the pressure it is applying to the nerve. Relieving this pressure causes a reduction in the pain and reduces the symptoms of sciatica.
For some of the worst cases the only option is a more drastic measure called spinal fusion. This procedure joins or fuses two disks together surgeons who perform this are trying to relieve the pressure caused by the disk compressing the nerves that pass through it. This procedure is usually reserved for patients who's spine has endured years of trauma and injury. Another reason can be due to the deterioration caused by osteoporosis of the spine. The main reason this is usually considered a last option is it greatly reduces the spines range of movement.
Even with the great many advancements in medical science that have worked to bring greater options in sciatica cures each person is different and treatments that will work well for one may not for another. This is the reason you should always consult with a medical professional that has experience in treating this type of situation.
