Sciatica is a common condition affecting about 40% of adults in the country. Sciatica is a general term for describing the pain that emanates from the compression of the nerve roots in your lower back. The pinching, inflammation, and irritation of the sciatic nerves may happen due to the narrowing of your spinal canal, a herniated or slipped disc, degenerative disk disease, or a health condition such as being overweight. Most common cases of sciatica near Marshall Campus are usually solved non-surgically. You may only need to undergo surgery when your sciatica is severe, like if you experience weakness in your legs.
For mild sciatica pain, non-surgical treatment methods are excellent since they rarely carry risks, and you benefit from little or no recovery time. Surgical treatment of a pinched sciatic nerve requires you to have months of healing, and there are risks, such as nerve injury, heart attack, and blood clots. Furthermore, your general health and lifestyle choices, including smoking and diabetes, may influence the outcome of a surgical procedure.
Consequently, below are some non-surgical options for resolving a lower back pinched nerve.
Physical therapy
The role of physical therapy is to strengthen the muscles and nerves in your lower back and eliminate pinching and swelling. Exercising relieves the pressure on your nerves and promotes blood flow to deliver nutrients, like oxygen, to the affected area of your body.
Physical therapy involves exercises, like knee-to-chest stretches, that lead to aerobic conditioning and strengthened abdominal region. The type of exercises your physical therapist will recommend will depend on your level of fitness and health condition.
Cold and heat therapy
You should apply cold and heat alternately to your lower back.
You can use ice packs for cold therapy, which ensures the cooling of muscle fibers, reducing the frequency of muscle spasms.
Moreover, exposing your lower back (lumbago) to freezing temperatures leads to the narrowing of the blood vessels causing blood flow reduction to create a numbing feeling. As a result, the pinched nerve conduction on your skin reduces.
On the other hand, using a heating pad, a heat lamp, or a hot towel for heat therapy ensures muscle spasms, stress reduction, and improved tissue metabolism. Also, heat therapy can improve the functioning of your sciatic nerve tissue.
Avoid cold or heat therapy for an extended time of more than 20 minutes so that you do not damage your lumbar region skin.
Chiropractic adjustment and massage
Chiropractic care or treatment entails a chiropractor performing spinal manipulation to improve the movement of your spine and your physical function. Chiropractic care and massage can loosen up tightened muscles and ease your sciatica pain.
Lower back injections
The procedure entails injecting a steroid drug directly into the area between the spinal cord and the vertebral canal. The section has a lot of nerve roots and veins, and fat. Fat absorbs shock and protects the neighboring content.
Steroid injections into your epidural space will help alleviate inflammation since your body has to produce fewer inflammatory cells. And alleviation of pain and swelling improves the function and mobility of your lumbar region and legs.
Contact Pain Management 360 today to schedule an appointment and learn more about sciatica treatments.
