Sciatica and Manhattan Spinal Decompression
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. Inflammation of the sciatic nerve is called sciatica...which means you have pain that travels down the leg. The sciatic nerve originates in the lumbar (lower) spine. It is created by branches of lumbar nerve roots.
Here is an excerpt from the great www.spine-health.com website entitled What You Need To Know About Sciatica:
The term sciatica describes the symptoms of leg pain and possibly tingling, numbness or weakness that travels from the low back through the buttock and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of the leg. The vast majority of people who experience sciatica get better with time (usually a few weeks or months) and find pain relief with non-surgical sciatica treatment. For others, however, sciatica can be severe and debilitating
Anyway...it is universally accepted that sciatica is usually the result of a bulging disc, herniated disc, or spinal stenosis. There are other causes also, such as piriformis syndrome, degenerative disc disease, facet syndromes, and vertebral subluxation. Sciatica is just a symptom...not the actual problem.
So, when it come to the treatment of sciatica, we need to look at correcting the problem...removing the mechanical pressure off of the sciatic nerve. Sometimes chiropractic adjustments can do this. Surgery obviously can...but what about the risks?
Well...this is where nonsurgical spinal decompression comes into play. Spinal decompression systems such as the Axiom Worldwide DRX9000 were designed and built specifically to treat neurovasclar compression syndromes such as bulging and herniated lumbar discs...a primary cause of sciatica. Sure the DRX9000
(watch DRX video) wont help every single person that does it...but nothing will.
Spinal decompression therapy has proven to be very safe and effective...and is gaining popularity every day...even amongst the medical profession.
There are very favorable preliminary research findings from spinal decompression studies currently underway at John Hopkins University, Duke University, and The Mayo Clinic (DRX9000 Special Report).
Herniated Lumbar Disc...Now What?
NYC Chiropractor and Herniated Disc Doctor Comments:
How do you know if you have a herniated disc in the low back? Well, you don't, unless you have the right tests done. Sure, you may have a lot of pain in your low back...it may be shooting down your leg...but you still may not have a disc herniation.
Here's another thing...you may have a lumbar disc herniation and have no symptoms at all. In fact, some people live and die with disc herniations and never even knew they had them.
But...for the purpose of this article...we will be concerned about low back pain patients that DO have signs and symptoms of herniated lumbar discs, and want to know if they have one. Here are the most common signs and symptoms:
Low Back Pain (can be severe)
Sciatica (leg pain)
Antalgia (listing to one side from muscle spasms)
Numbness & Tingling in the lower extremities
Night Pain
Abnormal Gait (can be painful to walk)
Hot or Cold sensations on the skin of lower extremities
Weakness of the Lower Extremities (leg, feet, or toes)
Loss of bladder or bowel function (this is a medical emergency)
Loss of balance
There are more...but I think I covered most of them. And these are what we call subjective complaints...things that you feel and that are happening to you.
There are orthopedic tests that your doctor will do to help determine if you have a herniated disc. If these tests are positive (objective findings) she may order an x-ray or an MRI. Really, it just depends on the severity of your condition and how many subjective and objective findings point to a herniated lumbar disc. An MRI is considered the gold standard for diagnosing a disc herniation.
So, you go to your doctor, they order an MRI, the MRI comes back positive for a disc herniation...say at L5, which is the most common disc to herniate..now what?
Well, this is when is gets interesting. There are so many factor to consider and so many opinions. If this is your first bout of back pain...it may just go away on it's own and never come back. But if you have been experiencing your low back pain for a long period of time, you will most likely need some form of treatment.
Personally, I would not rush to have back surgery. I would try the conservative approach first. I would visit a chiropractor. The body is an incredible machine and often times it can heal itself with a little help. Your spine may be out of alignment and some chiropractic adjustments is all you need.
Maybe you need some exercise as well...your chiropractor can help you with this...so can a physical therapist, or personal trainer.
Even very severe cases of lumbar disc herniation and spinal degeneration will often times respond to nonsurgical spinal decompression...a high tech disc herniation treatment that really works.
Sure, some disc pain patients don't respond to anything, even spinal decompression. For these very difficult cases surgery must be considered...but in my biased opinion...only as a last resort.
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