Sciatica is a spinal issue that occurs when the sciatic nerve becomes pinched. The nerve starts in the lower back (lumbar spine) and branches down the back of each leg.
People with sciatica may experience pain in the lower back as the first symptom. Sciatic nerve pain may be constant, or it may come and go. Most often it occurs along only one of the sciatic branches. But, some people may experience bilateral sciatica, where both branches of the nerve are pinched.
Additionally, sciatica pain can be split into two main types, based on the duration of its presence. In fact, can typically last for a few weeks in mild cases, up to several years.
Acute Sciatica
This type of sciatic pain last for only a short period of time and lasts up to 8 weeks.
Chronic Sciatica
Sciatic nerve pain that lasts for longer than 8 weeks is considered chronic, as it affects the sufferer in the long term.
Symptoms of Sciatica
Pain in the lower back is one of the first and main symptoms of sciatica. In some cases, this pain may spread to other parts of the lower body, such as the hips, thighs, or even calves or feet.
The pain may occur by itself, or it may be accompanied by other symptoms such as:
- Numbness, tingling or weakness in the affected leg(s)
- Weakness in the lower back and/or leg(s)
Causes
Sciatic pain occurs when the sciatic nerve becomes pinched or compressed. Spinal compression itself may occur due to issues with the intervertebral discs (herniated discs, bulging discs, prolapsed discs, degenerative disc disease), narrowing of the spinal canal (spinal stenosis). When a disc or its contents shift out of their usual place, they may put pressure on the sciatic nerve, leading to pain and possibly other symptoms as well.
Treatment
Acute sciatica often subsides naturally over time, though taking steps to reduce pain or speed up recovery can help. However, if symptoms persist over a long period, seek medical advice for a diagnosis.
After diagnosis, you might consider treatments for sciatica, such as:
- Over-the-counter painkillers or anti-inflammatory medication for temporary pain relief
- Epidural steroid injections
- Physical therapy to restore spine mobility
How to make it heal faster and prevent it from returning
Although the aforementioned treatment options may work for short-term sciatica, they are not a long-term solution.
In order to help sciatica heal faster, and to even prevent it from returning, it is best to try approaches that focus on treating the cause of the issue rather than the symptoms.
One such example is to engage in exercises for sciatica that help decompress the spine and provide long-term pain relief and prevention. Some of the best exercises for this matter include those that are performed with the help of a special orthopaedic device called the Backrack.
Spinal Backrack Technology for Effective Pain Relief
If you want to take your recovery from sciatica pain to the next level and avoid sciatica pain reoccurrence, try the Spinal Backrack!
The Spinal Backrack is a unique and innovative device that provides long-term back pain relief through exercises that are easy to do at home and use only your own body weight.
Through these exercises, it massages both the structures that make up your back in order to reverse spinal compression, which is one of the leading causes of pain in this part of the body.
And the best part is that it is absolutely free of side effects, as it is 100% natural. Other than spinal injury or infection, Backrack™ helps you treat 98% of all back pains at home without any medication, and is specifically designed for patients suffering from sciatic pain and related spinal problems to provide the best pain relief and prevention.
Thousands of people have already seen its benefits, so why not be one of them? Read more below.