In common terms, sciatica is generally known as the pain that occurs mostly in the lumber spine (lower back), and sometimes in the hips, back of the things, calves, or other parts of the body, due to the irritation or entrapment of the sciatic nerve. It can affect either one, or both sides of the body.
What causes sciatica?
Sciatica is primarily caused by spinal compression, which irritates the sciatic nerve.
Spinal compression itself is a by-product of other spinal conditions, most often related to disc problems. Spinal stenosis, herniated discs, prolapsed discs, and degenerative disc disease in the are among the conditions that occur in the lumbar region of the spine, and that can lead to spinal compression, and ultimately to sciatica.
Other causes of sciatica include cauda equina syndrome, muscle spasms, muscle strains, piriformis syndrome.
Symptoms
Sciatica symptoms include:
- Sciatic nerve pain, which mostly occurs in the lower back, but it can also appear on one or both side of one’s hips, back of legs, and sometimes even calves
- The pain may vary in intensity, from mild to severe
- The pain tends to be continuous
- In some cases there may be tingling, or numbness in the affected region
How Is Sciatica Treated?
Sciatica treatment modalities may include any of the following:
- Taking anti-inflammatory medication that reduces inflammation to obtain temporary pain relief.
- Talking to a physical therapist to follow a physical therapy programme that can help with spinal decompression. Although this method may be quite effective, due to the fact that it requires several sessions until an improvement is noticed, it can be quite an expensive form of treatment for some people.
- Surgery is typically not required for sciatica, although it may sometimes be considered as a last resort, and only for specific, extreme cases.
Can Walking Help Sciatica?
Given that all the aforementioned treatment options can be rather invasive, the question of exercise, and more specifically that of walking being beneficial for sciatica arises.
One would think that it’s a rather contradictory piece of advice to suggest walking as a form of treatment for a problem that presents itself as an obstacle for a sufferer to walk in the first place. And that’s something one should be cautious about, as walking can make sciatica worse, rather than better.
Although exercise may be beneficial to treat sciatica, and walking is considered to be a form of exercise, it does not necessarily mean that walking will help improve sciatica. On the contrary, for a lot of people walking may place increased pressure on your spine (and ultimately on the sciatic nerve), leading to the pain intensifying.
However, this is not to say that some individuals cannot benefit from walking. Although it is recommended that before one approaches walking as a form of treatment for this condition, he/she should seek assistance from qualified medical professionals beforehand.
For those who have receive a confirmation from a medical specialist, the following walking tips may help a sciatica sufferer get started:
- Walking at a slower pace may allow for less pressure to be placed on the affected region of the spine, and ultimately on the sciatic nerve.
- Additionally, walking shorter distances to start with is recommended
- Avoid walking on surfaces with irregularities that require additional effort and muscle coordination. Walk on flat surfaces instead.
Although walking as an exercise may be beneficial for some people, there are even better exercises for sciatica to treat it and prevent it from re-occurring. They can be performed with the help of a special spinal decompression device.
Spinal Backrack Technology
If you want to take your recovery from sciatica pain to the next level and avoid sciatica pain reoccurrence, try the Spinal Backrack!
It’s a patented class I medical device, that can provide long-lasting pain relief without causing any side effects. It has been carefully engineered by the brightest minds on Harley Street to give you the best possible comfort and results and can work even on cases of chronic cases of sciatica.
Its aim is to treat neck problems from the source. By following specific exercise programs using the Backrack, you can decompress your spine, relieve pressure in your back, restore mobility to the spine and leave your symptoms in the past!
