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Sciatica
How should one sleep with sciatica?
Sciatica is a very painful condition. Paying attention to some details when resting and sleeping can alleviate sciatica to a certain extent. Specifically, the first point is to sleep on a hard bed, preferably a solid wooden bed. If the bed is too soft, consider placing a wooden board on it. Second, lying on your back is better than lying on your side. This is because lying on your back can maintain the stability of the lumbar spine, thereby reducing the pressure on the discs. Third, maintain a moderate flexion of the hips and knees while sleeping. To do this, place a small soft pad under the lower back and a small soft pillow under the knee joints to keep the hip joints in a slightly flexed position. The purpose is to let the muscles of the lower back relax optimally, thus stabilizing the lumbar spine and reducing the burden on the lumbar discs. Therefore, for sciatica, if you sleep on a harder bed in a supine position, and maintain proper knee and hip flexion, it can be very beneficial for recovery.
Where to massage for sciatic nerve pain?
Sciatica can be alleviated through massage and physiotherapy, which helps improve local muscle blood circulation and alleviate symptoms. Certainly, nerve issues can affect muscles, leading to varying degrees of muscle atrophy. Therefore, massage can stimulate local blood circulation and improve symptoms. Sciatica mainly presents as numbness and pain along the outer side of the thigh, the calf, and the dorsum of the foot. In the morning, there might be a feeling of short tendons when putting on shoes, and more effort is needed to wear pants and socks. The areas typically massaged are the thigh, calf, and dorsum of the foot, which are common areas of discomfort. Massage in these areas can help relieve symptoms. Additionally, treating with medications that invigorate blood circulation and relieve pain, along with medications that nourish nerves, can be beneficial. Usually, strict bed rest for half a month and appropriate therapies such as traction, hot compresses, massage, and cupping can also aid in alleviating symptoms.
Is moxibustion effective for sciatica?
First of all, it must be affirmed that moxibustion can promote local blood circulation, thereby effectively improving the edema of the sciatic nerve and alleviating symptoms of sciatic nerve pain. Thus, moxibustion is effective. In addition to moxibustion for patients with sciatic nerve pain, other treatments such as acupuncture, electrical stimulation, traction, massage, and cupping can also be combined with very good effects. For those with severe pain, oral administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and blood-activating and stasis-removing drugs can be used. For those with severe spinal nerve compression that cannot be improved through conservative treatment, it is necessary to actively consider surgical treatment to relieve the pressure on the spinal nerves and create conditions for the recovery of sciatic nerve pain.
What foods should be avoided with sciatica?
Sciatica is often caused by a herniated lumbar disc, where the nucleus pulposus breaks through the fibrous ring, leading to a series of nerve root compressions. Symptoms include sciatic nerve pain extending along the lateral side of the buttock and thigh, numbness, and pain on the dorsum of the leg and foot. Walking becomes difficult, with sensations of shortened tendons, and dressing or putting on socks in the morning feels particularly strenuous. Diagnosis can usually be confirmed with a CT scan of the lumbar spine. Once diagnosed, it is recommended that patients use medications that promote blood circulation and alleviate pain, or drugs that nourish the nerves. Strict bed rest is crucial, along with local heat application. During medication, foods that are spicy and stimuli like alcohol can have an impact, although some medications require the use of yellow wine, this is an exception. However, it is best to avoid spicy foods during the medication period. Strict bed rest should continue generally for ten days, after which symptoms should ease and gradually disappear. Treatments may also include traction, which can effectively relieve nerve compression and restore the normal physiological curvature of the lumbar spine, reducing compressive symptoms. If conservative treatment fails, interventional surgery, such as ozone ablation surgery, may be considered. This is a frequently used method with decent effectiveness, but there is a possibility of recurrence. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)
Is cupping useful for sciatica?
Sciatica is a syndrome characterized by radiating pain originating in the lower back and extending through the buttocks, back of the thigh, outer side of the calf, and outer side of the foot. It particularly affects those who have experienced external exposure to cold, dampness, or injury from local strains or overexertion, leading to stagnation of Qi and blood stasis type of sciatic pain. Cupping therapy has been shown to be effective, meaning it can alleviate some of the clinical symptoms of sciatica to a certain extent. For example, cupping therapy for cold-dampness type can lighten the local cold and dampness, expel wind and open the channels, and thereby relieve pain. If the condition is due to Qi stagnation and blood stasis, blood-letting cupping can be used to promote the circulation of Qi and blood, remove stasis, regenerate new blood, and alleviate joint pain.
How long does it take for sciatica to improve with rest?
Recovery of the sciatic nerve requires a long time, and also depends on the severity of the damage to broadly judge the prognosis. If it is merely a contusion, it may take one to three months for most symptoms to gradually improve, such as sensory abnormalities like numbness and soreness. If the sciatic nerve has been chronically compressed, resulting in nerve degeneration, or if it has sustained severe traumatic injury, recovery will typically require at least six months to a year, and the process will be slow. Furthermore, if a violent injury has caused a tear or rupture, surgical treatment is necessary, and the post-operative recovery remains a lengthy process, often leaving significant residual symptoms.
Sciatica can heal on its own in a few weeks.
Lumbar disc herniation compressing the nerve roots in the lower back can cause pain in the buttocks and popliteal fossa, which we can refer to as sciatica. The underlying cause is still due to lumbar disc herniation. Generally, over 95% of patients experiencing initial pain can self-heal and find relief from the pain. In terms of sciatica, statistical and evidence-based medical research shows that most patients, especially those who initially exhibit symptoms, generally experience significant symptom relief within three months. However, if symptoms do not improve within three months, surgery is definitely indicated.
Where to go for sciatica treatment
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the human lower limb. If symptoms of sciatic nerve pain occur, it is first necessary to determine the cause of this pain. Sometimes, the pain is caused by degeneration of the intervertebral disc, leading to a ruptured nucleus pulposus protruding from the annulus fibrosus, which compresses the nerve root canal, causing this nerve pain. In such cases, it is recommended to visit an orthopedic or spinal surgery department. If there is no degeneration of the lumbar intervertebral discs or the condition of spinal stenosis, and only this pain occurs, it is advisable to visit a pain management department.
What foods should be avoided with sciatica?
Patients with sciatic nerve pain should be cautious with their diet in daily life. Avoid consuming spicy and stimulating foods such as chili peppers and black pepper. Avoid high-fat, high-calorie foods such as fatty meats, barbecued and fried foods. Also, reduce the intake of foods high in sugar like various pastries and sweets, as these foods are detrimental to health. Patients with sciatic nerve pain should eat more foods rich in high-quality protein and vitamins such as milk, eggs, beans, chicken, fish, fresh vegetables, and fruits. These foods are beneficial to health.
How to treat sciatica?
Patients with sciatic nerve pain must rest in bed, especially those whose pain is caused by nerve compression. They must pay close attention to keeping warm and resting regularly, and use heat application on the waist and buttocks. For medicinal treatment, the drugs are mainly divided into Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. Western medicine primarily uses non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and neurotrophic drugs. Traditional Chinese medicine mainly uses drugs that invigorate the blood to promote the repair of nerve edema and surrounding tissue swelling. Treatment can also include acupuncture and physical therapy, particularly ultrashort wave therapy and direct current iontophoresis during the acute phase, combined with acupuncture, which can effectively promote the alleviation of sciatic nerve pain.