Pain from sciatic nerve irritation is often severe and disabling. There are various causes of sciatic nerve irritation, but the majority of cases are related to protrusion of one or more discs in the lower spine and/or excessive contraction in a muscle located in the lower buttock area known as the piriformis.
Protruding discs, also called bulging or herniated discs, can develop after serious traumas such as an automobile accident, or from repeated damage over a long span of time, such as years of sitting in a slouched position or from bending and lifting activities. In some cases, disc protrusions may progress to the point of full rupture, at which point it would be called an extrusion. Extrusions often produce crippling pain that can render a person essentially unable to move or function without assistance. Protruded or extruded discs can produce sciatic nerve pain by directly compressing the nerve, but may also cause inflammatory swelling around the nerve which can add to compression and irritation.
Pain and other sciatic nerve symptoms caused by a disc protrusion can often be effectively treated with exercises to help reduce disc bulging and with medication and cold packs to reduce inflammatory swelling. Some exercises that are promoted for relieving sciatica should not be used in cases of disc protrusion though. For instance, the Downward Dog yoga position can increase disc bulging and make sciatic nerve pain worse.
Contraction of the piriformis muscle can produce sciatic nerve pain and is commonly triggered by extended periods of sitting, or from unusually exertive activities involving the hip joint, such as long distance running or bicycling. The piriformis is situated differently in different people, and in cases where the muscle runs across the top of the sciatic nerve, or when the nerve passes through the center of the muscle, piriformis contraction can easily trigger sciatica symptoms. Piriformis contraction and resulting sciatic nerve symptoms can usually be relieved by means of massage and stretching of the muscle.
Despite how painful and debilitating sciatic nerve irritation can be, the vast majority of sufferers can get relief without the need for expensive and invasive surgical procedures. Symptom relief can usually be achieved within a few days to a few weeks with simple exercises and self treatment methods once the underlying causes have been identified and the appropriate treatments are applied.
Protruding discs, also called bulging or herniated discs, can develop after serious traumas such as an automobile accident, or from repeated damage over a long span of time, such as years of sitting in a slouched position or from bending and lifting activities. In some cases, disc protrusions may progress to the point of full rupture, at which point it would be called an extrusion. Extrusions often produce crippling pain that can render a person essentially unable to move or function without assistance. Protruded or extruded discs can produce sciatic nerve pain by directly compressing the nerve, but may also cause inflammatory swelling around the nerve which can add to compression and irritation.
Pain and other sciatic nerve symptoms caused by a disc protrusion can often be effectively treated with exercises to help reduce disc bulging and with medication and cold packs to reduce inflammatory swelling. Some exercises that are promoted for relieving sciatica should not be used in cases of disc protrusion though. For instance, the Downward Dog yoga position can increase disc bulging and make sciatic nerve pain worse.
Contraction of the piriformis muscle can produce sciatic nerve pain and is commonly triggered by extended periods of sitting, or from unusually exertive activities involving the hip joint, such as long distance running or bicycling. The piriformis is situated differently in different people, and in cases where the muscle runs across the top of the sciatic nerve, or when the nerve passes through the center of the muscle, piriformis contraction can easily trigger sciatica symptoms. Piriformis contraction and resulting sciatic nerve symptoms can usually be relieved by means of massage and stretching of the muscle.
Despite how painful and debilitating sciatic nerve irritation can be, the vast majority of sufferers can get relief without the need for expensive and invasive surgical procedures. Symptom relief can usually be achieved within a few days to a few weeks with simple exercises and self treatment methods once the underlying causes have been identified and the appropriate treatments are applied.
About the Author:
To get additional information on relieving sciatic nerve pain, go to Dr. Best's sciatica treatment website. Also check out Dr. Best's YouTube video on sciatic nerve pain relief.
No comments:
Post a Comment