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Saturday, 23 November 2013

A Brief Overview Of Sciatica

By Pamela Lindi Joseph


Sciatic nerve pain, stemming from the lower back region is often referred to as sciatica. It is a common occurrence in many individuals today. Although the cause is located in the lumbar area of the spinal column, the severe pain is felt in the buttocks, hips or legs. The affected nerve is the largest and longest in the human body. When a sciatic disruption is present, the sufferer has difficulty in every position, including sleeping, standing, sitting and walking. Help is available, thanks to the natural and non-invasive techniques offered by chiropractic medicine.

In most instances, sciatic nerve pain originates in the lower back. It occurs when one of the two main branches of the nerve is compressed or irritated. Usually, the irritation is the result of disc issues. The disc may be compressed so that it bulges into the surrounding tissue. This condition is known as a bulging disc. The disc may also be described as herniated or ruptured, depending upon the type of damage that has occurred.

When the discs are compressed, it is usually due to a misalignment of the vertebrae column. The bones have insufficient room to provide space for the discs. The result is a bulge or herniation which extends into the surrounding nerve roots. The cushioning effect is lost, which can result in bone wear.

Techniques to alleviate sciatic pain under the guidelines of traditional medicine usually call for painkilling medications or even for surgical solutions. Such methods are hard on the body and are costly. In addition, they are seldom effective over the long term. Chiropractic methods are more likely to prevent surgery and are effective in long-term pain relief.

In the United States, chiropractic manipulation of lumbar spine or lower back vertebrae is a preferred alternative medicine form of therapy. It is usually performed by chiropractors. The manipulation or adjustments may take the form of manual or machine-assisted methods.

Studies have shown that chiropractic techniques are successful in nearly 90 percent of patients. The techniques include traction, range of motion exercises, spinal adjustments and muscle stimulation using electrical devices. Additional therapeutic efforts focus on strengthening muscles which affect the problem area.

Even if patients have tried other forms of therapy with no success, chiropractic techniques are successful in almost sixty percent of sufferers. Other methods that are implemented usually are restricted to drugs or surgical procedures. The patient may also try physical therapy or acupuncture with little or no success.

Chiropractic care for sciatica is non-invasive. It is more cost effective than surgical procedures and results in a much shorter recovery time. It has been found that seeing a chiropractor first for sciatic nerve pain typically results in just over one patient per one hundred who go on to have surgery. When the surgeon is seen first, forty-three patients per one hundred undergo surgery.




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