One day, not very fine, you make a seemingly ordinary movement: bend down, turn your head or torso, pick up some kind of string bag, and suddenly you are pierced by severe pain. And it doesn’t just pierce you, as they say, wedged.

And that's a shame - there is no one hundred percent effective recipe for getting out of this state..

If it “shoots” from the neck into the arm, this is cervicothoracic sciatica; from the lower back to the buttock, thigh, leg - sciatica lumbosacral. There may also be variants of isolated pain in the thoracic spine - extending to one or both sides of the corresponding part of the back. The pains are aggravated by the slightest movement, especially during the first attack in life.. No wonder one of the main complaints-symptoms of the disease is the phrase: "

So what is it?

As you know, the human body is controlled by the nervous system.. The brain " But the brain tissue is very delicate - it must be protected.. The brain is protected from injuries by the cranium, the spinal cord - by the spine, consisting of individual vertebrae, between which " Between the individual vertebrae there are small openings - through which the roots of the spinal nerves exit, from which the "

If the diameter of the intervertebral foramen becomes smaller than the size of the root, compression of the latter occurs, which is manifested by severe pain.. The “guilty” of this may be the spine - when the distance between individual vertebrae decreases in it (osteochondrosis, spondylosis and other pathologies of the bones and cartilage of the spinal column). The most severe option is a protrusion of the intervertebral disc (disk hernia) or even its rupture - with squeezing the root. Or the nerve root itself may be "

However, with sciatica, a “vicious circle” mechanism quickly arises, regardless of the root cause - the protective tension of the intervertebral muscles of the back compresses the vertebrae and nerve more strongly.. Which, due to this compression, swells even more, increasing in diameter.

How to treat it?

Based on the foregoing, it is necessary to " First of all, anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed (diclofenac, indomethacin, etc.).. ), which at the same time reduce pain. Protective muscle spasm is relieved by muscle relaxants. Vitamins (especially group B) and biostimulants (aloe, plasmol, etc.). ) improve metabolic processes in the nerve, helping to normalize its functions and reduce swelling. However, in some, especially severe cases, it is necessary to relieve swelling by intravenous administration of special decongestants - like mannitol.

All kinds of " By the way, in acute sciatica, massage and thermal procedures are categorically contraindicated - they only increase swelling..

With disc herniations and other vertebral pathologies, it is necessary to use " Sometimes the only way to help the patient is a neurosurgical operation on the spine - when the hernia is simply "

Or maybe it'll just go away.?

Of course, sciatica can go away without treatment.. Only the terms of complete recovery will be lengthened several times - and new exacerbations will be observed very often. But much more likely with untreated sciatica is the transition of the inflammatory process from a separate root to whole nerves and nerve plexuses.. Which is fraught with "

By the way, exactly the same complications can occur if a sparing regimen is not observed during treatment.. When patients who are " From all this, the poor inflamed root swells even more - and recovery becomes very problematic.. So, in case of sciatica, it is better to immediately tune in for 10-14 days of "

Is it necessary to see a doctor?

Yes! And not only for the sake of " Because, although they don’t die from sciatica, many much more life-threatening diseases can occur under its “mask”. Pain that radiates to the left hand, for example, can be associated not only with a pinched nerve, but also with “angina pectoris” or even a heart attack. And without an " Pain in the lower back is also observed in diseases of the female genital area, as well as kidneys - glomerulo- and pyelonephritis, urolithiasis. Here we need blood tests, urine tests, ultrasound examination. With self-treatment, you can play out and up to resuscitation with a subsequent disability group.

At best… On the other hand, less serious illnesses can be very similar to sciatica at the very beginning.. Usually associated with overexertion of the back muscles without involvement of the nerves (lumbago, cervicalgia) - with increased load, sports exercises. Here, indeed, there will be enough "

How to protect yourself?

There is no 100% effective recipe for this.. Osteochondrosis, alas, is diagnosed in almost everyone after 20 years, and sometimes even earlier.. However, timely treatment of inflammatory diseases (especially of the pelvic organs), refusal to lift heavy weights, good nutrition with plenty of vitamins and rest, trips to resorts significantly reduce the risks..

Both the primary disease and its subsequent exacerbations during the transition to a chronic form. In this regard, I would especially like to point out the desirability of limiting the " And for the “strong” floor, when lifting heavy weights, it is recommended to lift them “with a straight back”, and not bending with the letter “G”. The implementation of these simple recommendations will significantly reduce the frequency of visits to doctors.

Yuri Nosovsky.

nedug. en.

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