ORTHOPEDICS/LEG, FOOT & ANKLE
Leg Pain, Burning and Coldness… all these features are due to Nerve Irritation
Normally the brain sends messages to the muscles, and the nerve transmits the signals back announcing the presence of pain and feelings.
The sciatic nerve is the nerve that transmits the information to and from the brain.
This sciatic nerve is in fact, the largest peripheral nerve in the body.
The sciatic nerve is located in the spinal cord lower segments.
The sciatic nerve crosses the lower part of the spinal cord, passes behind the hip joint, and runs down the thigh (Femur bone) back.
The sciatica diagnosis looks after an irritation that had arisen to the sciatic nerve.
The sciatic nerve, (like almost all the nerves), performs two basic roles: first, it sends signals to muscles from the brain; and second, it collects sensory information from the legs and passes this back to the brain.
Disorders such as sciatica that affect the sciatic nerve will disturb these normal roles.
The common signs of sciatica include: Electric shock pain down the leg, Numbness & tingling feelings and Muscle weakness.
Sciatica Causes
The most frequent cause of sciatica is an herniated spinal disc.
When this occurs, the normal cushion between the vertebra of your spine breaks. This causes the disc to push out and compresses these nerves.
When the nerves are compressed, people experience pain, weakness, and numbness.
Other disorders, such as spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, or piriformis can also enhance sciatica by irritating the sciatic nerve.
In fact, Sciatica can affect anyone of any age and any gender, but it is extremely rare in children and adolescents patients.
Sciatica typically affects 30 to 50-year-old patients.
The sciatica diagnosis looks after an irritation that had arisen to the sciatic nerve.
Sciatica Therapy
In order to treat properly the sciatica signs, we need to look after the cause.
Usually the doctor will take a thorough history, perform a physical exam, and test several specific functions of the sciatic nerve. Mant other disorders may cause hip and femur pain, and need to be considered.
It is important to define the sciatica accurate reason prior to start any therapy.
X-rays or eventually an MRI may be helpful, (if needed).
Therapy is first focusing on addressing and assessing the inflammation related to sciatica.
Relaxation, anti-inflammatory medicines (such as Motrin or Celebrex), and muscle relaxers are often good steps to start.
Once the pain diminishes, trainings and physical therapy are helpful. Finally, some doctors may recommend an epidural steroid injection that can deliver anti-inflammatory medicine straight to the inflamed zone around the nerves.
Surgical treatment of sciatica is not usually needed, but in individuals who undergo the above therapy, and still have persistent pain, a surgery may be considered.
The surgical process and objective is providing more space to the nerve that had been compressed. (This may be effectuated by removing the fractured disc, or by opening up the bone around the nerve, or a combination of both.