Sciatica
Brief description of the disease
Sciatica is an inflammation of the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the entire human body. It travels through the lumbar spine and then splits into smaller units that supply energy to the knee, ankle, hip, foot, and toes.
I would like to note right away that sciatica, the treatment of which is an important medical problem, significantly reduces a person's standard of living due to severe pain in different parts of the body.
The main causes of sciatica are:
- hypothermia of the body (both local and general);
- spinal diseases (spondylosis, osteochondrosis, various deformities);
- arthritis;
- trauma;
- too heavy load on the spine.
Sciatica: symptoms of the disease
Sciatica is usually one-sided, that is, painful sensations are present only on one half of the body, however, this is not always the case. A situation may well arise when, say, both legs suffer. Moreover, sometimes severe pain occurs not only in the legs, but also simultaneously in the lumbar region, buttocks, thighs, feet and legs.
So that you can at least roughly imagine how a person diagnosed with sciatica feels, we want to list several types of unpleasant sensations encountered with this disease:
- sharp, shooting pain;
- tingling sensation;
- burning;
- Goosebumps;
- complete or partial numbness.
Often, the symptoms of the disease appear so vividly that the patient cannot sleep and perform other habitual actions - standing, bending over or turning. It is for this reason that for people diagnosed with sciatica, gymnastics and other activities are not just preventive, but vital procedures that allow them to return to normal life.
Sciatica: treatment of the disease
Currently, doctors widely use both traditional and alternative treatments for sciatica. We will talk about the recipes of traditional medicine a little below, but for now we will talk in more detail about what methods are used in modern health centers and clinics.
To begin with, a few words about the drug treatment of sciatica. It involves taking anti-inflammatory drugs that relieve severe pain. Recommended medications include ibuprofen, diclofenac, and ortofen, but keep in mind that none of these medications will correct the underlying cause. Accordingly, if sciatica is ineffectively treated, the symptoms will disappear only temporarily, and then the pain will become even worse and spread to other parts of the body. Only comprehensive treatment will help to cope with the disease, including:
- physical therapy - as mentioned above for people diagnosed with sciatica, gymnastics and other special exercises are vital, and they are carried out under the supervision of an experienced doctor in compliance with all his recommendations. It is not worth it to engage in amateur performances, since with the wrong approach, physical education leads to repeated attacks of sciatica;
- reflexology - a course of procedures that accelerate the recovery process;
- manual techniques in conjunction with a massage complex;
- hirudotherapy;
- water procedures - Vichy shower, pearl and hydromassage baths;
- physiotherapeutic measures - phonophoresis, electrophoresis, Darsonval;
- electroanalgesia.
Once again, we note that any pain reliever will provide minor, short-term improvement. They suppress unpleasant symptoms, but they are not able to eliminate them completely, therefore, at the first painful sensations, we advise you to consult a doctor. He will find out what is the cause of the pain - sciatica or another disease, and the patient will be prescribed adequate, correct treatment.
Sciatica: treatment with folk remedies
If a person is diagnosed with sciatica, alternative treatment is combined with standard medical procedures to achieve the greatest effect. Here are the most common and effective recipes:
- 2 tablespoons of marsh bogulnik herb are poured with 5 tablespoons of vegetable oil. The mixture is placed in a tightly closed vessel and infused in a warm place for 12 hours. After that, it must be cooled, filtered and rubbed on those parts of the body that cause the most severe pain;
- peel the black radish, grate it and spread it on a piece of cloth. The compress is applied to the sore spot and tied with a scarf or warm shawl;
- sour rye flour dough is spread on a cloth or gauze. The thickness of the dough should be 1-2 cm. The compress is done every day at night;
- 50-70 gr. grated horseradish are placed in cheesecloth and dipped in warm water. Traditional treatments for sciatica in the form of baths are very effective, but do not forget to take them every day before bed for two to three weeks;
- to prepare a medicinal bath, you can also use 150 g of crushed angelica roots, which are boiled in 1 liter for 30 minutes, or 100 g of meadowsweet herb.
YouTube video related to the article:
The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!
