Sciatica frequently manifests itself by causing pain that radiates down either one or both legs. This age-related illness is most frequently brought on by a herniated disc, which then presses on the spinal nerve roots. Two more causes of Las Vegas sciatica are lumbar spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis, both of which are caused by degenerative arthritis. Sciatica and low back pain are two separate conditions, despite the fact that they are frequently spoken together in the same sentence.
Is surgery an option for treating sciatica?
Sciatica is treatable by surgical means, and that is true. Patients who have tried everything else to reduce the pain that is associated with their spine but have been unsuccessful may find that lumbar (lower back) surgery is their best alternative. This is despite the fact that the procedure may seem extreme.
Patients who meet the criteria for the condition experience sciatic pain, but the underlying reason may be identified (for example, spinal nerve compression). In addition, the patient must satisfy one of the following prerequisites in order for the possibility of surgical intervention to be taken into consideration. In addition to the symptoms of sciatica:
- The treatment that does not include surgery did not produce the desired effects.
- Returned after nonsurgical treatment had been shown to be effective, increased difficulty or worsened contributed to an increase in neurologic difficulties (such as limb weakness and paralysis).
It has been demonstrated that surgical treatment for sciatica is more effective than nonsurgical treatments in terms of giving fast pain relief. In addition, data indicates that surgery for the relief of sciatica pain is helpful over the long term.
What are the key differences between axial pain and radicular discomfort?
Axial or radicular low back pain are two distinct syndromes that need to be treated in different ways, despite the fact that both types of pain are prevalent and experienced by many people.
Axial low back pain is an example of a category of pain for which the underlying cause cannot be identified. Several areas in the lumbar region have the potential to experience “referred” pain from a central or axial source.
It is possible to zero in on the source of radicular pain in the lower back. Back pain that radiates along a spinal nerve root and begins in the lower back. Radiculopathy is the medical term for sciatic nerve pain. The sciatic nerve is a big nerve that is made up of both motor and sensory nerve “fibers.” These cells originate from spinal nerves 4 and 5, which are located in the lower back.