Inflammation of the sciatic nerve: symptoms and treatment

The sciatic nerve is the longest in the body - begins in the waist and ends in the foot, passing through the thigh and the shin.Inflammation of the sciatic nerve( in medicine this pathology is referred to as sciatica) can develop even in an absolutely healthy person, moreover, it will not be a separate, independent disease.Due to the fact that the sciatic nerve is long, with the development of the inflammatory process, a person will experience pain and discomfort throughout the "path" of his passage in the body.

Table of Contents: Causes of Sciatic Nerve Inflammation Symptoms of Sciatic Nerve Inflammation How Is Sciatica Diagnosed When Emergency Medicine Is Needed Treatment of Sciatic Nerve Sciatica Prevention

Causes of Sciatic Nerve Inflammation

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To lead to the development of a pathological process in the sciatic nerve canMany factors, but doctors, as a result of long-term statistics, identified several major ones. Causes of sciatica:

• pear-shaped muscle syndrome;
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• constant / frequent overcooling;
• displacement of the intervertebral disc, which is accompanied by a pinch of the sciatic nerve( it may be complete or partial);
• previously diagnosed neoplasms of benign or malignant character;
• excessive physical activity, which lead to damage to the muscular tissues of the pelvis.

Symptoms of sciatic nerve inflammation

The main symptom of the pathological process under consideration is severe pain along the anatomical location of the sciatic nerve.Moreover, the pain syndrome is localized on the side where inflammation develops, but on the healthy side there will be either short-term numbness or unpleasant tingling in the leg and buttock.

Note: extremely rarely sciatica inflammation develops simultaneously from both sides.In this case, the pain will affect both the legs and buttocks.

Patients note that the pain syndrome develops on the increasing - at the very beginning of the pathological process, the pain appears only with physical exertion, with abrupt movements of the body, sneezing or coughing.Progression of the inflammatory process leads to an increase in pain, then they are present constantly, but especially unpleasant feelings disturb the patient at night.A patient with a progressive inflammatory process suffers from insomnia( at night, he simply can not fall asleep or wakes up often), and all( if there is no treatment) ends with the immobilization of a person due to acute, intense and uninterrupted pain.

How is sciatica diagnosed

If the first symptoms of sciatic nerve inflammation appear, then you need to seek help from a neurologist.Only a specialist can diagnose and conduct a full examination - this is necessary to identify the true cause of sciatica.

In the diagnosis of sciatica nerve inflammation, doctors prescribe:

• laboratory blood test - biochemical and clinical analyzes;
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging;
• X-ray examination in different projections.

Note: in the progression of the inflammatory process under consideration, the patient may experience a disruption in the operation of the knee joints, the appearance of abnormal neurologic reflexes.In some cases, with difficult diagnosis or the presence of atypical symptoms, it may be necessary to consult a doctor of a rheumatologist, a vascular surgeon.

When urgent medical attention is needed

It is worth knowing that the primary symptoms of sciatica inflammation may be similar to those of more serious diseases. Therefore, immediate medical attention should be sought in the following cases:

• body temperature rose to 39-40 degrees for no apparent reason - there are no signs of acute respiratory viral infection or other pathological conditions;
• pain syndrome is rapidly becoming intense, unpleasant sensations spread not only over the entire length of the leg, but also on other parts of the body;
• in the pelvic region, legs and buttocks there was a strong numbness, which becomes an obstacle to free movement of the patient;
• during urination marked by severe burning;
• was incontinence of urine or feces( even if it is an isolated case);
• on the back appeared edema;
• in the lumbar region there is hyperemia - reddening of the skin.

Treatment of sciatica nerve

Treatment of sciatica is carried out by complex therapeutic measures.It is noteworthy that there is no single purpose for all patients diagnosed with sciatica nerve inflammation - the course of treatment and specific procedures are selected in a strictly individual order.But there are, of course, general recommendations on the course of therapy for the development of sciatica .These include:

1. Acute pain forces the patient to take a recumbent position - doctors recommend to observe bed rest only with the use of a rigid mattress and completely refuse even a small motor activity.
2. Pharmacotherapy is prescribed - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, painkillers, vitamin-mineral complexes.It is advisable to prescribe and local medicines - ointments and gels, which have an irritating effect, which will help get rid of spastic pain.
3. Physiotherapy is an integral part of complex therapy.The following procedures are intended:

• warming compresses and warming-up;
• phonophoresis or electrophoresis.

Physical therapy for diagnosed sciatica inflammation is characterized by the use of medications - muscle relaxants, antispasmodics and anti-inflammatory drugs.

1. The course of the massage.It can be started only after the acute process has subsided, during a period of intense pain of the maximum level of inflammation, massage is strictly contraindicated.Competently, professionally performed massage, helps reduce pain, improves blood circulation and lymph flow, increases the conductivity of the affected nerve pathological process.

Exercises from the complex of physiotherapy exercises are considered effective in sciatic nerve inflammation.The exercises are selected in strictly individual order, and they are allowed only after the therapy directed against the acute inflammatory process.In some cases, minimal loads, the simplest physical exercises are shown to patients who are at the stage of bed rest - they are lying down.Then, as the recovery and recovery of health, doctors increase the load, increase the number of exercises.

Note: , after the acute phase of the inflammatory process is blocked by drugs, the doctor can give advice to the patient about visiting the pool.The fact is that it is water that makes it possible to relax the sciatic nerve as much as possible, but at the same time provide a load on the muscular tissues located around this nerve.

As a rule, therapeutic measures give a good effect if the patient asked for medical help in a timely manner.But if the sciatica's nerve has already passed into the chronic stage of the course, periodic courses of therapy do not alleviate the patient's condition, then doctors can give recommendations for an operative intervention.

Prophylaxis of sciatica

Inflammation of the sciatic nerve can be prevented - for this it is only necessary to keep your back muscles in tone.With this "task" will cope with simple physical exercises, even morning exercises will be effective.If a person is forced to engage in sedentary work, then at intervals of 60-90 minutes you need to take a break, get up from the desktop and sit down a couple of times, execute several inclines.

To prevent the development of the disease under consideration it is necessary to avoid hypothermia and trauma, as well as to conduct a full treatment of all pathological conditions that are provoking factors.

Inflammation of the sciatic nerve is not considered a dangerous pathology, but in the moments of acute process the patient should be helped by the doctors - only in this way it is possible to prevent the pathology from becoming chronic.

Tsygankova Yana Aleksandrovna, medical reviewer, therapeutist of the highest qualification category.