Sciatica can be a life altering condition, and past treatment options have failed to bring relief. A new treatment option is providing relief in most cases, without the risk associated with surgery.
The term sciatica is often used to describe pain down the leg, however the true definition of sciatica is irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is a combination of several nerves as they leave the lower back .The majority of cases of sciatica are caused by herniated or bulging discs in the lumbar spine. These discs are soft cartilaginous structures that provide cushion between each vertebrae.
When you look at the consistency of a disc it is made up of 2 distinct layers. The outer portion is the consistency of cartilage and the inner portion is much softer and almost jelly like. The combination of these structures provides good cushioning and flexibility to the disc. The problem arises when the outer portion weakens and allows the softer inner portion to begin to migrate outward creating a bulge or herniation. This then compromises the exiting nerve and creates the symptoms often associated with sciatica such as pain, numbness and weakness.
Traditional treatment programs for sciatica typically consist of pain medication, injections and in severe cases surgery. These approaches may work in the short term to reduce inflammation and decrease the pain somewhat, however they also carry with them significant risk. The risk to reward benefit is often not worth it long term as most of these treatment are only temporary. If the problem becomes more severe and the nerve is actually compressed then these treatments may offer no relief at all.
Steroid injections are one of the most common treatments utilized for severe sciatica as we have outlined previously. The goal of the injection is to reduce inflammation and soothe the surrounding areas. The problem is that the injection is only temporary and offers no real long term benefit for the patient. Side effect can include spinal headaches, a rebound pain phenomenon and a spike in blood sugar in diabetics. The relief obtained can sometimes be worth the risk, however a proactive approach must be coupled with the short term pain relief.
Some of the worst cases of sciatica may be referred for surgery. This approach may help a small number of these cases and may in fact be the treatment of choice, however it brings with it significant risk factors and a poor success rate. Spinal surgeries have about a 50% success rate and often can lead to a condition called failed back surgery syndrome. This condition is usually caused by scar tissue formation, spinal instability or another disc being involved due to increase stress on adjacent levels. It is also very likely another surgery may be indicated in the future.
Fortunately a new treatment exists that is highly effective and doesn't bring with it the risk of side effects associated with other treatments. Spinal Decompression is a new, advanced form of spinal traction with a patented computer monitoring device. This device allow a gently and logarithmic pull of the spine safely bypassing the guarding reflex muscle contraction associated with traditional traction. Bypassing this muscle response allows a therapeutic negative pressure to develop inside the disc space drawing in nutrition and fluid to help the disc heal, but also reducing herniated or bulging material and relieving the sciatica nerve. The treatment is safe and gentle and brings with it a very high success rate in the high 80 percentile and because it physically treats the cause of sciatica the problem is not likely to return.
As more studies are done on this technology a consistently high success rate is achieved. The long term benefits are also very promising because as I stated previously the treatment is aimed at healing the disc and removing the pressure and irritation from the nerve, not just masking it. While spinal decompression is not right for everyone with sciatica, it certainly represents a true breakthrough and a safe long term option for this condition. - 15438
The term sciatica is often used to describe pain down the leg, however the true definition of sciatica is irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is a combination of several nerves as they leave the lower back .The majority of cases of sciatica are caused by herniated or bulging discs in the lumbar spine. These discs are soft cartilaginous structures that provide cushion between each vertebrae.
When you look at the consistency of a disc it is made up of 2 distinct layers. The outer portion is the consistency of cartilage and the inner portion is much softer and almost jelly like. The combination of these structures provides good cushioning and flexibility to the disc. The problem arises when the outer portion weakens and allows the softer inner portion to begin to migrate outward creating a bulge or herniation. This then compromises the exiting nerve and creates the symptoms often associated with sciatica such as pain, numbness and weakness.
Traditional treatment programs for sciatica typically consist of pain medication, injections and in severe cases surgery. These approaches may work in the short term to reduce inflammation and decrease the pain somewhat, however they also carry with them significant risk. The risk to reward benefit is often not worth it long term as most of these treatment are only temporary. If the problem becomes more severe and the nerve is actually compressed then these treatments may offer no relief at all.
Steroid injections are one of the most common treatments utilized for severe sciatica as we have outlined previously. The goal of the injection is to reduce inflammation and soothe the surrounding areas. The problem is that the injection is only temporary and offers no real long term benefit for the patient. Side effect can include spinal headaches, a rebound pain phenomenon and a spike in blood sugar in diabetics. The relief obtained can sometimes be worth the risk, however a proactive approach must be coupled with the short term pain relief.
Some of the worst cases of sciatica may be referred for surgery. This approach may help a small number of these cases and may in fact be the treatment of choice, however it brings with it significant risk factors and a poor success rate. Spinal surgeries have about a 50% success rate and often can lead to a condition called failed back surgery syndrome. This condition is usually caused by scar tissue formation, spinal instability or another disc being involved due to increase stress on adjacent levels. It is also very likely another surgery may be indicated in the future.
Fortunately a new treatment exists that is highly effective and doesn't bring with it the risk of side effects associated with other treatments. Spinal Decompression is a new, advanced form of spinal traction with a patented computer monitoring device. This device allow a gently and logarithmic pull of the spine safely bypassing the guarding reflex muscle contraction associated with traditional traction. Bypassing this muscle response allows a therapeutic negative pressure to develop inside the disc space drawing in nutrition and fluid to help the disc heal, but also reducing herniated or bulging material and relieving the sciatica nerve. The treatment is safe and gentle and brings with it a very high success rate in the high 80 percentile and because it physically treats the cause of sciatica the problem is not likely to return.
As more studies are done on this technology a consistently high success rate is achieved. The long term benefits are also very promising because as I stated previously the treatment is aimed at healing the disc and removing the pressure and irritation from the nerve, not just masking it. While spinal decompression is not right for everyone with sciatica, it certainly represents a true breakthrough and a safe long term option for this condition. - 15438
About the Author:
Dr. Randall Pruitt is a chiropractic neurologist.. He was a pioneer in the use of Spinal Decompression In Phoenix Arizona. He utilizes the DRX9000 in his practice to achieve results for the treatment of Sciatica In Phoenix
