In medicine, inflammation of the sciatic nerve is called sciatica. In this case, sciatica in the lumbosacral spinal cord with infringement of roots also refers to sciatica. Synonyms for sciatica are such diseases as neuritis, pinching and inflammation of the sciatic nerve.
In the human body, the sciatic nerve is the longest and largest. It is located in the lower back, passes through the buttocks and ends in the lower limbs.
As a result of compression of the sciatic nerve, roots in the lumbosacral spine are under pressure, then inflamed and the person experiences pain of varying degrees.
Pain sensations can be localized in the lumbar region, back of the thigh, feet, legs. Pain can grow with walking, coughing attacks. In the initial stage, sciatica can manifest as a lumbago, lumbar or lumbargia.
Pain can be either weak, muffled, or intolerable, in which the patient can not move normally, even sleep.
If you develop a painful syndrome, you should immediately seek qualified help from a neurologist.
Content
- Precipitating factors
- symptoms and characteristic signs
- Diagnosing disorders
- Methods of treatment
- Therapy medical drugs
- Physiotherapy
- gymnastics and gymnastics
- Surgery
- Treatment folk remedies
- What could be the consequences
- Preventive
measures Aggravating factors
Herniated lumbar department -one of the provocators of nerve inflammation
Inflammation of the sciatic nerve itselfis not an independent disease, and in most cases seen as a reaction to other disorders in the body.
With the intervertebral hernia, the nerve is squeezed and an inflammatory process is triggered.
Often a provocation of sciatica is osteochondrosis in neglected form with complications.
As a result, the intervertebral clearance is minimized and the sciatic nerve is compressed.
Sciatic nerve inflammation can begin due to such causes:
- trauma to the back, pelvis, extremities;
- sudden hypothermia of the body;
- pathological changes of vertebrae in shape( outgrowths);
- arthritis;
- gynecological diseases;
- diabetes mellitus;
- penetration into the body of infection and development of inflammatory processes;
- effects on the nerve of irritants in the form of tumors, muscles( pear-shaped muscle syndrome), bone tissue;
- constipation;
- internal bleeding;
- heavy physical exertion.
Symptomatics and characteristics of
The main symptom of the presence of an inflammatory process in the region of the sciatic nerve is the pain manifested in the lower limbs. The sensitivity in the legs is lost, the normal motor function is disrupted.
Pain in nature can be different - pricking, sharp, burning, pulling. The pain comes in a fit. A sharp period of exacerbation is replaced by relative calm.
In general, discomfort is experienced from one side. Bilateral inflammation of the sciatic nerve is less common.
Attacks tend to occur as a result of physical or emotional overload. If, in addition, supercooling is added, inflammation of the sciatic nerve is very likely. Very often inflammation occurs at night.
The sensitivity of the skin along the nerve is undergoing changes. There may be tingling, crawling or numbness. The pain begins on the back femoral side and gradually falls on the shin, foot. Pain after the attack does not go away, it is felt in the area between the vertebrae( 5 lumbar and 1 sacral), in the center of the buttocks and under the knee.
The sciatic nerve often hurts so much that it can lead to a fainting condition. Also, redness of the skin, swelling, excessive sweating of the feet can be observed.
Walking, long standing, sitting position on a stiff chair gives pain. A person involuntarily searches for a comfortable position of the body, transfers the center of gravity to a healthy leg. The gait is broken( the leg seems to stretch for pain in the lower back).
In particularly severe cases of sciatic nerve inflammation, the functionality of the nerve is severely or completely impaired. As a result, the muscles( calf, femoral, gluteal) may decrease in size. The patient with difficulty bends the lower leg, moves his fingers and turns the foot due to a temporary "shutdown" of the muscle from the back of the thigh.
Diagnosis of a disorder
A correct diagnosis is the key to successful treatment of a patient. To this end, a number of comprehensive measures need to be taken:
- primary examination by neuropathologists, in some cases, examination and consultation with rheumatologists, vascular surgeons, vertebrologists;
- collection of clinical analyzes;
- radiography of the vertebral column in two fixed positions( sitting, lying);
- MRI, computed tomography;
- radioisotope scanning of the vertebral part( prescribed for suspicion of tumor formation, for HIV infected persons);
- electromyography.
When examined, the neurologist reveals a number of symptoms inherent in sciatica: 
- landing symptom;
- symptom of Sikar;
- is a symptom of Lasega;
- flabbiness and hypotension of the muscles;
- gluteal fold on the side of the inflammation is substantially omitted;
- Achilles tendon has a weakened reflex.
Methods of treatment
How to treat sciatica inflammation is solved on an individual basis. At the same time, such therapies are used:
- drug therapy;
- physiotherapy procedures;
- exercise therapy;
- massage sessions.
During the treatment it is necessary to follow the regimen. The patient should have a bed with a hard surface. In the period of exacerbation, the motor activity should be limited to the minimum limits. Bed rest is needed before the inflammation is reduced in an acute form.
Drug therapy by
Drug medication for sciatica nerve inflammation is produced by NSAIDs. They make it possible to quench the action of the enzyme cyclooxygenase responsible for the production of prostanoids.
In practice, such drugs are used:
- Ketorolac;
- Diclofenac;
- Sulindack;
- Ibuprofen;
- Naproxen;
- Orthophene.
These drugs can relieve pain and inflammation. At the same time, one should not overlook the fact that drugs have side effects - kidney work is hampered, blood clotting decreases, gastric mucosa changes for the worse. The period of their application should be short.
After the removal of acute inflammation it is possible to use safe dosage forms, but with a longer course of treatment.
Such gentle forms include the following drugs:
- Movalis;
- Nimesulide;
- Arcoxia.
Hormonal medications can be prescribed in cases of intolerable pain. They are used for a short time, only to relieve the pain syndrome. Hormonal drugs are dangerous for their side effects.
In addition to the medicamentous forms, vitamin complexes are prescribed. A special role is played by vitamins E, B.
Medications that allow to normalize metabolic processes, relieve muscle tension are also used in the treatment of sciatica.
In severe cases with acute inflammation of the sciatic nerve with a sharp deterioration of the patient, injections are done. Injections of 
are used only when the therapy with tableted forms does not bring the desired effect.
The injection must be done by a specialist. The steroid drug is injected as close as possible to the sciatic nerve in the affected area.
In the treatment of use and medicines for external use in the form of patches, gels, ointments. Experts recommend such ointments:
- Viprosal;
- Finalgon;
- Virapine;
- Salinity;
- Naphthalgin.
Propolis, turpentine, mustard oil in the composition of therapeutic ointments can be used to activate the nerve, increase blood flow.
Physiotherapeutic procedures
In sciatica such physiotherapy procedures are shown:
- electrophoresis;
- phonophoresis;
- compresses;
- heating procedures.
In combination with physiotherapy drugs are medicated. As a result, blood circulation of inflamed areas increases, recovery is faster.
Prescribing the procedures of the prerogative of the attending physician, it regulates the number of sessions, etc. Therapeutic massage, it is allowed to use only after passing through the dangerous phase of exacerbation. Massage beneficially affects the recovery of muscles, relieves pain, improves blood flow, increases the conductivity of the sciatic nerve.
The effect of massage can come from at least 10 sessions. With each session, the intensity of the exposure should increase.
LFK and gymnastics
In the arsenal of methods to combat sciatica nerve inflammation, there are proven methods of therapeutic physical training. Exercising with gymnastics, performing simple exercises will improve the general condition of the patient, will improve the blood flow in the lumbar region.
Simple and effective exercises:
- We lift the legs .Exercise is performed from the position of lying on the back. Legs alternately bend at the knees and rise to a height of 0.3 meters, the leg is fixed for 10 seconds. It runs 8 to 12 times at a slow pace.
- Squeeze off the wall .Become face to the wall, put emphasis palms. We feed the body to the wall, elbows are bent. Unbend elbows, the body returns to its original position. In a slow rhythm is done 10 to 15 times.
- We are practicing the ball .Lying on the back, we pinch the ball between our legs. Bend the legs in the knees, raise to a height of 0.3 m. Make a turn with the ball to the right for 10 seconds. We return to the starting position. The same turn with the ball in the other direction. It is done 10 times.
Surgical procedure for
Surgical method of treatment of sciatica is shown in exceptional cases with cardinal abnormality in the functioning of pelvic organs. Removing the disc, its parts is called microdiscectomy. Eliminates the pathology of the intervertebral disc, eliminates the cause of nerve impairment.
What to do if the sciatic nerve is inflamed and aching:
Treatment with folk remedies
Treatment of sciatica inflammation with folk remedies at home should be treated with caution. Consultation with a specialist neurologist will be quite superfluous.
The most effective recipes:
- Treatment with beeswax .The bottom line is that the wax on the water bath softens to the state of plasticine and from it
is made a cake. The lining is made on the inflamed area, wrapped in a film, then a layer of cotton wool and bandage. The procedure is done overnight. Duration - a week. - Massage with cans .The body is applied warming cream, ointment, gel. On the patient site, the bank is put in a circular motion and the procedure lasts 10 minutes. Such massage is performed every other day.
- Medical rubbing on pine buds .The collected pine buds are poured with vodka( alcohol) and insist a week in a dark place. We rub the sore spot with a paste.
What could be the consequences of
If you do not start the treatment process, you can avoid the unpleasant consequences of the inflammation of the sciatic nerve. Possible complications include such complications:
- partial or complete muscular atrophy;
- feet lose sensitivity;
- urine and stool do not hold, and the patient can not control this process.
Preventative measures
The muscular corset must be maintained in tone. The weakening of the retaining capacity of the muscles leads to the displacement of various organs( the spine ceases to function as the supporting column of the body).And as a result, the sciatic nerve becomes inflamed.
Therefore it is necessary to deal with your health, the following recommendations will help to fight sciatica:
- balanced nutrition( the presence of magnesium and potassium in foods is mandatory for the diet);
- motor activity, sports activity;
- approaches to the bar for stretching the intervertebral discs;
- posture correction from a young age;
- attendance of manual therapy sessions;
- imitate animals - the deflections of the back on all fours.
An inflamed sciatic nerve can deliver a lot of troubles, pain and negativity to the person as a whole. Do not hesitate at the first symptoms, which indicate sciatica nerve inflammation, go to the doctors, it will help to timely treat pathology.
