Sciatica is a term given to discomfort in the lower back that moves down the leg through the sciatic nerve, which causes pain, tingling, numbness or weakness on either side of your body. Although sciatica cannot be diagnosed as an actual medical condition, it is said to be a symptom of a previous injury or medical condition. The original cause is usually pressure on the sciatic nerve. The largest single nerve in the body is the sciatic nerve, which is composed of individual nerve roots that start by branching out from the spine in the lower back at lumbar 3 (Frymoyer 1992). The nerves that stem from each level of the lower spine intertwine to construct the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down each leg. Down the leg, nerves branch out to innervate different parts of the leg. Depending on where the nerve is injured or pressured determines where the person will feel the symptoms and to what extent they will experience symptoms down the leg. A few alternative names include neuropathy of the sciatic nerve, sciatic nerve dysfunction, herniated disk, or lower back pain of the sciatic nerve (Frymoyer 1992).
Because sciatica isn’t an actual medical diagnosis, but a result of a previous condition or injury, it is more difficult to make definite statistics of how many people have been subjected to sciatica. A more general classification of sciatica is lower back pain that is incredibly common for Americans. Lower back pain is the single leading cause of disability in Americans under 45 years old, according to the Global Burden of Disease 2010. The third leading cause of disability in people over 45 years of age is back pain. In fact, half of all working Americans admit to experiencing back pain each year, where 26 million Ameri...
... middle of paper ...
...ase: Epidemiology,” Instructional Course Lectures.
Retrieved from http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/sciatica/sciatic-nerve-and-sciatica
Vallfors B. Acute (1985). Subacute and Chronic Low Back Pain: Clinical Symptoms,
Absenteeism and Working Environment, Scan J Rehab Med Supply. Retrieved from http://www.acatoday.org/level2_css.cfm?T1ID=13&T2ID=68
Harvey Simon, MD, and David Zieve, MD (2012, May 3). Back Pain and Sciatica. Retrieved from http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/back-pain-and-sciatica
John P. Kostuik, MD, and Simeon Margolis, MD (2002). Low Back Pain and Osteoporosis.
Retrieved from http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/sciatica/sciatic-nerve-and-sciatica
Acupuncture for pain (2012, August 9). National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine. Retrieved from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/acupuncture-for-pain.htm
Availability of nerve block therapy, chiropractic treatment and high dose of pain medicine which will promote numbness, reduce sciatic nerve pain, minimize fatigue and decrease pain sensation. Similarly, implanted pain pumps which delivers a medicine directly to the spinal cord and symptoms can be controlled by smaller dose than needed dose with oral medication.
Peripheral and central mechanisms involving nerve lesions and their input are substantial when perceiving phantom pain. Due to the impairment of peripheral nerves in the process of amputation, regenerative sprouting of damaged axons occurs and the activity rate of inflamed C-fibres and demyelinated A-fibres spontaneously increases (Flor, 2002). As a consequence of this nerve injury, a neuroma, which is a mass of pruned and tangled axons, may form in the residual limb producing abnormal (ectopic) activity (Katz, 1992). Flor, Nikolajsen and Jenson (2006) proposed that ectopic discharge from a neuroma in the stump illustrates abnormal afferent input to the spinal cord, which is a possible mechanism for unpro...
It is caused by damaged nerves. It generally, causes a weakness or numbness but can
“The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease” by Thomas A. Edison. Chiropractors use hands-on spinal manipulation and other alternative treatments on the spine which will enable the body to heal itself without surgery or medication. Chiropractic care began in 1895 when its founder, Daniel David Palmer, claimed any and all diseases could be healed by nothing more than just his hands. Dr. Palmer examined a janitor who was deaf for 17 years after the janitor felt his back was out of place, so Dr. Palmer gave an adjustment to what was felt to be a misplaced vertebra in the upper back. The janitor then observed that his hearing improved thanks to Dr. Palmer. Chiropractors use manipulation to restore mobility to joints restricted by tissue injury caused by sitting without proper back support. Chiropractic is primarily used as a pain relief alternative for muscles, joints, bones, and connective tissue, such as cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. About 22 million Americans visit chiropractors annually
Acute episodes of pain after a sprain, strain or falls, are the usual reasons, but other people present in clinic seeking help for ongoing discomfort for more chronic conditions. Approximately 50% of those with chronic pain ahave musculoskeletal problems, with small proportion developing chronic pain syndromes.The healthcare, economic and personal costs of managing pain are major.
" Chronic Pain (CP) statistics astounding according to The Institute of medicine approximately 100 million adults suffer from chronic pain which is more than heart disease, diabetes, and cancer combined."(IOM Relieving Pain in America 2011, p. 1)
Peripheral nerves are categorized as both sensory and motor which means they help provide sensations and move ligaments. These nerves attach to the spinal cord and run throughout the human body. Damaging these nerves may result in peripheral neuropathy. This condition is the degenerative state of the peripheral nerves. During this state, nerves may lose the ability to function therefore, causing multiple problems with one’s body. There are multiple causes to this condition and many can be avoided.
The word “chiropractor” has two word origins, the Greek words cheir and praxis; meanwhile, cheir means “hand” and praxis means “practice.” Also, most of the work that chiropractors do is done by hand (Pike para. 5). In 2002, going to a chiropractor was found to be the most commonly used program for therapy. Seventy-four percent, about 4 million, of people that had back pain went to a chiropractor to get treated. Among that 74 percent of people, 66 percent of them stated that they got “a great benefit” (Pike para. 9). Many chiropractors work full time but 1 out of 3 chiropractors work part time. Chiropractors work whenever their patients need them, even on w...
Currently, I am involved in a prospective cohort study with other colleagues from King Fahad Medical City that aims to study the effect of a low back care educational program on low back pain prevalence among health-care professionals.
Tests after tests including MRI’s, X-rays, and experimental procedures were performed to show I had five ruptured disks in the lower lumbar section of my back. Tedious Examination done by a group of doctors concluded I had a crippling disease of the spinal column called spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal that causes compression of the spinal cord. (Lohr,1) If this disease was ignored any longer, it would lead to many other problems affecting other areas of my back to help support this weakness. It was an extremely rare case for an athlete my age.
Paanalahti, K., Holm, L. W., Nordin, M., Asker, M., Lyander, J., & Skillgate, E. (2014). Adverse events after manual therapy among patients seeking care for neck and/or back pain: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 1577. doi:10.1186/1471-2474-15-77
Chronic lower back pain is a major health disorder in the world today (Mendelson, Selwood, Kranz, Loh, Kidson, Scott, 1983). It can cause many physical, mental, and emotional problems on the victim (Mendelson, Selwood, Kranz, Loh, Kidson, Scott, 1983). Many people find their work so unbearably painful that they often have to stay home. Others experience depression, inactivity, and social isolation (Kaplan, Sallis, Patterson). Treatments range from the conventional methods such as medication and surgery to the alternative or unconventional methods such as acupuncture. However, only a small percentage of low back pain patients have the type of condition for which surgery can be used so acupuncture is becoming more popular (Lehmann, Russell, Spratt, 1983).
Pain is universal and personal to those who are experiencing it. It is subjectively measured on a scale of 0-10 with zero being no pain and 10 being the worst pain ever. This can be problematic for patients and doctors because this score can be understated or overstated. Doctors will make quick decisions based on this score. Patients might feel not believed because only they can feel the pain. However, untreated pain symptoms may be associated with impaired activities of daily life and decreased quality of life. Pain is defined in our textbook, “as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage” (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2016, p 25). Actual pain is understood by most because there is an
Hasenbring, M.I., Rusu, A.C., & Turk, D.C. (2012). From Acute to Chronic Back Pain: risk factors, mechanisms, and clinical implications: Oxford: OUP Oxford.
Spinal fusion stabilizes the spinal vertebra by fusing the disk spaces between the vertebra. The purpose of Lumbar fusion surgery is designed to help create solid bone between the adjoining vertebra. Classically Autograft bone has been used for fusion. This case study demonstrates the successful use of a synthetic bone graft called Signafuse. Signafuse is a moldable bone graft comprising a proprietary combination of patented bioactive glass particles and biphasic mineral granules suspended in a patented resorbable polymer carrier.