Is it the sciatica?
Tense muscles can trigger nerve pain in the back and legs - which helps now
Created: 2022-06-07 09:06
Lower back pain?
The sciatic nerve could be to blame.
© Thomas Trutschel/Imago
An irritated sciatic nerve can cause severe back pain.
What can you do about sciatica pain?
Sometimes the solution is very simple.
Back pain can have many different causes.
In most cases, it is lack of exercise or one-sided movement that causes upper and/or lower back problems.
Do you suffer from pain that radiates to the thigh or even to the foot?
That could be because the sciatic nerves are involved.
These run from the lower back over the buttocks to both legs and can cause unspeakable pain when irritated.
Doctors speak of sciatica or sciatic syndrome when the nerve itself is irritated or the nerve roots in the lower lumbar vertebrae that give rise to the sciatic nerve.
As the AOK informs, this can be done by a
herniated disc, caused by degenerative changes in the vertebral joints or pressure on the sciatic nerve
.
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But
muscle tension
in the lower back can also be responsible for sciatica symptoms, as reported by Austria's public health portal.
The following
symptoms
can speak for "sciatica", as sciatica pain is also called in the vernacular:
severe pain felt from the lower back down the buttocks to the back of one leg
Radiating pain to the hollow of the knee, lower leg and foot/toes
Sensory disturbances such as tingling or numbness in the leg and buttocks
signs of paralysis
treat sciatic pain
Long-lasting pain along the sciatic nerves must always be clarified by a doctor.
Only a doctor can determine the cause behind back and leg pain.
If the diagnosis "sciatica syndrome" is made, there are several therapy options.
An operation is only necessary as a last resort.
According to the specialist portal MSD Manual, the following treatments promise success for sciatica:
bed rest for a day or two
Lateral position in bed with knees drawn up, between which a pillow is placed
Pillows under the knees when sleeping on your back
Cold or heat applications with ice packs or an electric blanket
Painkillers if necessary (among other things, to prevent a relieving posture)
If necessary, medication for nerve pain (e.g. gabapentin, antiepileptics)
physical therapy
stretching
Sciatica pain from muscle tension?
What is important now
Movement is good for the body, nothing new.
However, one-sided movement sequences promote shortened muscles and thus tension, which can also trigger sciatica.
Therefore, rely on versatile movement in everyday life.
Yoga, for example, strengthens the muscles of the whole body and, thanks to many stretching exercises, helps to increase flexibility.
In general, a mixture of endurance and weight training keeps the body fit and healthy.
Good sleep and an ergonomic lying position also help to prevent back pain.
Therefore, rely on high-quality bedding that
supports your individual sleeping position in the best possible way.
Regenerate better while you sleep
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