Thank You! I have Sciatica
The Front and The Back Of The Back
Sciatica. Finally I have a diagnosis that acknowledges my level of pain and dysfunction. I feel so much better about the suffering now. So what is this Sciatica thing and how did I get it?
Sciatica refers to pain that can radiate symptoms from the buttock area down to the foot. Most of the time a problem with sciatica means a problem with the lumbar spine. But, if you ‘just’ have back pain, or symptoms in the front of the thigh, you don’t have sciatica, although you may still have a serious back problem. When symptoms are referred to the leg the condition is of concern. The symptoms can be pain, tingling and numbness, and/or weakness. Symptoms felt more distal to the low back are more serious. One of the biggest culprits of sciatica is the lumbar intervertebral disc. This is usually more of a problem with ‘younger’ sciatica. As the aging process progresses the problem is more often with the arthritic condition of stenosis, or a closing down of the nerve root opening between the vertebrae. These two conditions often look alike, but they are treated quite differently. The good news is that they can often be treated effectively before the surgical option. As in most conditions, a thorough assessment needs to be made. It is extremely rare that a complex condition like sciatica can just disappear with one magic treatment. The entire back and lower extremity, as well as the person, needs to be evaluated and the condition treated appropriately. Usually this means re-educating the back to work correctly. Early back pain often progresses to sciatica when this is not accomplished.
So congratulations! You have Sciatica! Now the question is, what are you going to do with this information? If your first two options are: handicap sticker and surgery you may have more congratulations on the way.
Sciatica. Finally I have a diagnosis that acknowledges my level of pain and dysfunction. I feel so much better about the suffering now. So what is this Sciatica thing and how did I get it?
Sciatica refers to pain that can radiate symptoms from the buttock area down to the foot. Most of the time a problem with sciatica means a problem with the lumbar spine. But, if you ‘just’ have back pain, or symptoms in the front of the thigh, you don’t have sciatica, although you may still have a serious back problem. When symptoms are referred to the leg the condition is of concern. The symptoms can be pain, tingling and numbness, and/or weakness. Symptoms felt more distal to the low back are more serious. One of the biggest culprits of sciatica is the lumbar intervertebral disc. This is usually more of a problem with ‘younger’ sciatica. As the aging process progresses the problem is more often with the arthritic condition of stenosis, or a closing down of the nerve root opening between the vertebrae. These two conditions often look alike, but they are treated quite differently. The good news is that they can often be treated effectively before the surgical option. As in most conditions, a thorough assessment needs to be made. It is extremely rare that a complex condition like sciatica can just disappear with one magic treatment. The entire back and lower extremity, as well as the person, needs to be evaluated and the condition treated appropriately. Usually this means re-educating the back to work correctly. Early back pain often progresses to sciatica when this is not accomplished.
So congratulations! You have Sciatica! Now the question is, what are you going to do with this information? If your first two options are: handicap sticker and surgery you may have more congratulations on the way.
