Sciatica

Lumbar radiculopathy (sciatica)and other types of back pain is one of the most frequent and essential spinal condition that a physical therapist commonly treats. Lumbar radiculopathy is a sciatic nerve root irritation or compression at the lower spine (Fuller & Goodman, 2015). A person with sciatica experiences a sudden pain, tingling sensation and weakness from the lower back radiating through the buttocks, groin and all the way own to the leg and feet depending on the affected nerve root irritation, usually from L1 to S1 ( Ropper & Zafonte, 2015).

Sciatic nerve pain is very challenging to treat as it's a warning sign of any cause. Thus it is significant to recognize what causes it in order that it

Because severe pain is more difficult to control, Mrs R may become anxious and fatigued, and may also withdraw again from the regimen if there is no success in achieving pain relief; therefore, the preventive approach needs to be considered. (Wells, 2014). For an effective pain control pain, Mrs R should also keep a daily record of her pain. Writing a diary can help empower the patient in her own care, give her confidence and increase self-efficacy (Bastable, 2014). Also, a strategy of pain management is to combine opiods with non-narcotics, such as Tylenol, in order to enhance pain relief and to slowly decrease the use of narcotics overtime (Lewis, 2014). Mrs R was explained to always follow the right dosage of medication to optimize the narcotic results. A complete assessment of pain should be performed: PQRST. Pain is a subjective concept and the patient must describe the pain in order to provide an effective care plan (Jarvis, 2013). Responses to pain medication should be documented to facilitate communication between health care providers, therefore to maximise effective pain management strategies (Lewis, 2014). The use of non-pharmacological therapy for pain is also recommended to Mrs R because it helps reduce the dose of an analgesic/opiod required to control pain and helps to minimize analgesic side effects, and also promote the release of endorphins which inhibit pain signals (NCBI, 2010). Mrs R is encouraged to use distraction such as watching TV, listening to the radio/music, which redirect the attention on something and away of the pain. Imagery can also be proposed to divert the focus away from the pain by stimulating the client’s imagination to develop sensory images. Relaxation strategies can also be used to help Mrs R to be free of her anxiety and stress, and to reduce muscle tension (Lewis,

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the leading causes of disability and work absence globally, affecting not just the individual, but also extending to families, communities and society at large. Whilst the prevalence of LBP is high, with over 70 percent of people experiencing some LBP at some point during their lives, most will resolve within a few months (Campbell et al, 2013). Problems arise when pain persists beyond the expected period of healing or when it exceeds 12 weeks in duration. An estimated 40 percent of people who present with acute LBP continue to report symptoms after 3 months and

Sciatica typically occurs in the lower back and extremities. The most common cause is from a lumbar herniated discs pressuring the scatiac nerve, which causes pain and inflammation. In addition to this, pinched nerves and back injuries also result in sciatica. Since sciatica is a symptom of a larger health problem, chiropractic practitioners carefully diagnose through standard medical diagnostic imaging, such as CTs and MRIs. One of the benefits of using chiropracticare to treat sciatica is that surgery can be avoided. Keep in mind that microdiscectomy spine surgery is the most common treatment method for umbar herniated

People struggling with back and neck pain can become used to the administration of narcotic pain medications (also referred to as opioids). All narcotic agents have a dissociative effect that helps patients manage pain. While they do not actually deaden the pain, they do work to dissociate patients from the discomfort. Commonly used narcotics include Codeine, Hydrocodone, and Oxycodone.

Chronic low back pain has been shown to have a significant impact on individuals, their families, professional life, and communities. It is one of the most common health problems causing suffering and disability, and it is a leading cause of physical inactivity. In addition to the physical impairments and professional detriments, chronic low back pain increases the financial burden to the healthcare system by augmenting medical treatment costs. Muscle strengthening activity, on the other side, has been used clinically to treat low back pain. However, there is an inconclusive data regarding the preventative effect of muscle strengthening activity on low back pain. Thus, we wanted to see if being engaged in muscle strengthening activity reduces

The implementation of pain management based on the best available evidence implies the comprehensive assessment of pain with a reliable and valid assessment instrument, the application of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions based on the findings of the evaluation, the frequent re-evaluation of pain to know the level of response to treatment. Although evidence-based pain management

Pain medications are drugs that are utilized to relieve the uneasiness associated with injury, disease, or surgery. There are different types of medications used to relieve pain because of the complexity of the pain process. These various kinds of medications for relieving pain work through varying psychological mechanisms. Generally, pain medications are classified into two major categories i.e. prescription and non-prescription drugs. Prescription drugs are extensive medications against pain and include more powerful drugs than the over-the-counter medications. These drugs are virtually used for any kind of pain situation though they are usually reserved for severe pain i.e. acute or chronic pain. In contrast, non-prescription drugs consists various mild anti-inflammatory medications that are mainly used for short-term pain and minor strains. Therefore, non-prescription drugs are used for common pains and aches and lower fever (Morelli & Vogin, n.d.). Some of the most common types of drugs used to relieve pain include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioids, muscle relaxants, corticosteroids, antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, acetaminophen, and anticonvulsant drugs.

Deep dry needling and paraspinal dry needling also reduces pain from myofascial trigger points. 13 Despite the effectiveness of dry needling there are inconsistent research studies about trigger point diagnosis through palpation and physical examination.14

Sciatica is often characterized by one or a combination of the following symptoms: Constant pain in only one side of the buttock or leg (rarely can occur in both legs) Pain that is worse when sitting Leg pain that is often described as burning, tingling or searing (vs. a dull ache) Weakness, numbness or difficulty moving the leg or foot

It can be administered alone or part of a multi-disciplinary approach in relieving symptoms. It delivers pain-relieving medication directly to the source of pain in musculoskeletal pain conditions and their effects are often immediate and long lasting. They are often used to reduce opioid side effects or gain better analgesic efficacy. However, serious complications have been reported in the literature. The Closed Claims Project Database has reported 284 chronic pain management claims were reported between 1970 and 2000; 96% of the claims were related to interventional pain management techniques (10). Seventy-eight percent of these were related to nerve blocks and injections. Paraplegia or quadriplegia, epidural abscess, chemical injury from spinal cord injections, epidural hematoma, even more alarming death and brain damage were some of the reported complications; most commonly reported was pneumothorax and spinal cord nerve injury

Prince remarks, “Cold application may reduce local inflammation and muscle spasm and may be more effective than heat in acute pain (n.d., p. 178).” Another one is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS); this is a portable and pocket-sized device that is attached to the skin where the area of pain is, and by using mild, safe electrical signals it controls pain. Prince (n.d) emphasizes that TENS is a nondrug option for patients with addiction and joint, neck, or other acute pain, but it is less effective for back pain. He stated, “In a placebo-controlled trial of 200 patients with chronic back pain, those randomized to TENS showed improvements in pain and neck strength. The TENS therapy should be used in conjunction with physical therapy (p. 178)”. Likewise, spinal cord stimulation (SCS) decreases pain when an electrode is implanted in the spinal cord for the effect of relaxing the nerves causing pain. This also uses mild, safe electrical signals. Drugs.com(2000-2017) suggests that there are other non-pharmacological methods that help control or decrease pain like aromatherapy; it is a way of using scents such as oils, extracts, or fragrances from flowers, herbs, and trees that may be inhaled or used during massages, facials, body wraps, or baths to relax, relieve stress, and decrease pain. Guided imagery works by teaching ways to put pictures in the mind that will make pain less intense and by learning to change the way body senses and

Dry needling, a loosely used term by many people of medicine, to define a filiform needle that goes into the skin and into the muscle, scar tissue, and tendons (Dunning et al. 253). What they’re trying to accomplish with this technique, is to reduce or stop neuromusculoskeletal pain completely. This technique was inspired by the western medicines, which they would call acupuncture. Although similar in a way, very different in technique.

Probably, the starting point of the whole program I will develop for Jaso is to make him understand the predicament he is facing. It is important for him to know that sciatica is a pain caused by the compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve that runs from the pelvis all the way to the legs. Thus, it is also imperative for him to note that exercises provides the best results as far as relieving sciatic pain is concerned. Once he realizes the importance of such exercises, I will design a set of exercises that helps in mobilizing the sciatic nerve and improve the flexibility of the back. At the outset of these exercises, Jaso should do them gently and get acquainted with how far he can go in each without feeling the pain. The program will encompass a daily