Inflammation of the sciatic nerve is one of the most important causes of pain in the lower back, and it is called “sciatica” by the people. It is a pain that extends along the path of the hip nerve from the back to the pelvic area to the legs, and is often a symptom of a disease in the spinal cord.
The inflammation of the sciatic nerve is the inflammation of the longest and largest nerves in the body, and therefore it affects several areas of the body, and the damage or inflammation of the sciatic nerve is one of the most common conditions that women and men suffer (more women), and the treatment of inflammation of the sciatic nerve is important Important due to its impact on patients' quality of life.
The treatment of sciatic nerve inflammation remains dependent on the causative condition, because as we mentioned, sciatica is caused by another underlying condition that caused this pressure or injury to the hips nerve, so what is the way to get rid of the pain of sciatic nerve inflammation? Is it possible to treat inflammation of the sciatic nerve at home? Follow us in this article.
Symptoms of sciatic nerve inflammation
A patient with inflammation of the sciatic nerve (sciatica) may come with pain in the lower back, buttocks, and buttocks, and extends to the thigh, lower leg, and even to the soles of the foot. This pain is often localized to one side (unilateral), and rarely is the injury bilateral. It is disc-like pain that may In the form of a burn or an electric shock.
The pain may be accompanied by a sense of tingling and numbness with a feeling of pain in the form of burning along the sciatic nerve, and the symptoms may be associated with a feeling of weakness in the lower extremity and a sense of heaviness in it.
Symptoms may also vary between numbness, tingling, and pain that spreads with the sciatic nerve. The area around the buttocks may show pain, while the lower areas affected by numbness or tingling appear, i.e. there is no specific pattern always seen in sciatic nerve inflammation.
Postures that aggravate the symptoms of sciatic nerve inflammation
The patient may feel the symptoms of sciatic nerve inflammation more in certain positions, and knowing these positions may help to avoid them or be careful while trying to take them, including:
- The pain of sciatic nerve inflammation often increases when trying to stand or sit in an abnormal position or standing for long periods (especially for those whose work requires standing for long hours) in addition to that symptoms may increase or decrease while lying down, causing insomnia.
- Holding the air or pressing hard (for example, during defecation) may have an effect on the exacerbation of symptoms.
- Exacerbation of symptoms may be caused by coughing and sneezing.
Lying down with the knees slightly raised and bent can help relieve sciatica symptoms.
What is the sciatic nerve?
It is the longest and largest nerve in the body. It originates from the nerve roots L4 through S2. It divides in the popliteal fossa into the tibial nerve and the common peroneal nerve.
Causes of sciatic nerve inflammation
There are many causes of sciatica, and anything that compresses or affects the sciatic nerve can cause sciatica (inflammation or irritation of the sciatic nerve).
The most common cause of this condition is a herniated disc or what is commonly known as a disc (herniation or bulging of the disc between the vertebrae in the lumbar region), as the herniated disc presses on the roots of the sciatic nerve, causing the symptoms seen.
Spinal stenosis is also one of the most important causes of this condition, especially in the elderly, in addition to rheumatoid arthritis.
Other syndromes that cause sciatica include:
- Spinal disc degeneration and thinning
- Spondylolisthesis
- Some bony formations or abnormal bumps
- Tumor or hemorrhage pressing on the sciatic nerve
- Lumbar muscle spasm or pelvic muscle inflammation (such as piriformis syndrome, pseudo-sciatica)
- Cauda equina syndrome
Distinguishing and evaluating sciatic neuritis
There are many cases that may confuse the patient (and even the doctor as well) and think that they are symptoms of inflammation of the sciatic nerve, and you should see the doctor as soon as possible and not rely on home remedies or folk recipes to treat such deceitful cases, as some cases that share symptoms with sciatica It may be serious and requires emergency treatment.
Among the diseases that can present with symptoms similar to those of sciatic nerve inflammation are:
- Acute ischemia or ischemia of the extremities (an emergency situation that requires prompt intervention from the doctor, otherwise the patient will lose his affected limb)
- Acute compartment syndrome (compartment syndrome)
- Dysfunction of the sacroiliac joint
- Pott's disease (tuberculosis of the bones of the body)
The clinical history is one of the most important steps in diagnosing inflammation of the sciatic nerve (sciatica), as lower back pain (lumbar pain) and symptoms of numbness, stiffness and weakness in the lower extremities direct the doctor to carry out further investigations to investigate the cause of this pain.
Determining the source and cause of low back pain (sciatic sciatica) is a major challenge for doctors in Turkey, as x-rays of all types may not accurately determine the cause of sciatic inflammation.
Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are among the most important methods of diagnosis in this case, and electromyography can help to get an idea of the cause of this condition.
Treatment of sciatic nerve inflammation in Türkiye
The treatment of sciatica (inflammation of the sciatic nerve) depends on the cause of this condition in the human body. Home treatment, exercise and lifestyle changes may be sufficient in some cases, and the doctor in Turkey may resort to surgery in certain cases.
Treatment of sciatic nerve at home
Conservative treatment of sciatic nerve inflammation (sciatica) includes many treatment methods, and the patient must fully follow the doctor's instructions to ensure maximum benefit and not resort to surgical treatment.
Conservative treatment includes drug therapy, physical therapy, lower back chiropractic, injection of drugs into the sacral region (lower back) and finally treatment of sciatic nerve inflammation with herbs and some lifestyle modifications.
Medicines for the treatment of inflammation of the sciatic nerve
The doctor can prescribe some medications for a sciatica patient, but they remain analgesic medications and are not a final solution to this problem. These medications include:
- NSAIDs
- anticonvulsants
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Opioid or non-opioid analgesics in rare cases
- oral steroids
- Some muscle relaxants
Exercises for the treatment of sciatic nerve inflammation
Exercise, physical therapy, and even massage may help relieve or even get rid of sciatica.
Topical steroid injection
In the event that the patient did not benefit from his previous treatment, he can resort to injecting therapeutic drugs into the pelvis or hip, and even epidural injections.
It may target specific nerve roots in a drug injection of steroids, which is a more complex but more accurate method.
Usually a single dose is sufficient to relieve symptoms, but up to 3 doses per year may be given.
Read also on our site about: Disc treatment with injections in Türkiye.
Lower back chiropractic
And it takes place in the chiropractor clinic, where the specialist straightens the deformities of the spine in the body manually and gives an overview of the cause of pain in the lower back (sciatica pain) and helps the patient in understanding his body better.
Herbal treatment of sciatic nerve inflammation
Hot or cold compresses can be useful in relieving lower back pain caused by sciatica (other accompanying symptoms), and the patient may benefit from some folk recipes, but they remain non-healing complementary treatments, including:
- Turmeric powder
- Bitter chamomile oil
- Indian Aloe Vera
- Garlic (an effective pain reliever)
- Nutmeg
Surgical treatment of sciatic nerve inflammation in Türkiye
As we mentioned earlier, the treatment of sciatic nerve inflammation depends on its cause, and in the event that all previous treatments fail after 6 weeks of initiation, or if the case is an emergency and serious symptoms appear in the patient, Turkish doctors resort to surgical treatment to solve this problem once and for all.
Types of sciatic nerve surgery in Türkiye
- Minimally invasive herniated disc surgery in Türkiye
- Laser disc treatment in Türkiye
- Microscopic disc treatment in Türkiye
- Spinal stenosis treatment in Türkiye (Can be viewed at Surgical treatment section To learn about different types of surgical approaches such as laminectomy, laminoplasty, laminotomy, laminectomy and even fusion of two vertebrae with each other)
- Surgical treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis in Turkey (The two most popular methods are decompression surgery and spinal fixation surgery)
- Surgical removal of tumors or masses pressing on the sciatic nerve in Turkey
Some advice for a patient with sciatica (sciatica)
Lifestyle change, weight loss and diet modification remain among the most important steps towards getting rid of lower back pain (pain in sciatica) permanently, as weight gain and prolonged sitting are among the most common causes of this condition.
The Bimaristan Center offers you an integrated plan for the treatment of sciatic nerve inflammation, as this condition is one of the most common causes of pain in the world, so the patient must pay attention to the type of pain and its spread and see a doctor as soon as possible, as there are many treatment methods in Turkey, but the solution remains in the hands of The patient takes the step towards treatment in Turkey.
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