Many patients with sciatica can clearly describe the onset of the disease as being related to a sudden lumbar “sprain”, such as after lifting heavy objects, carrying heavy objects, prolonged bending activities or a fall. Therefore, we should learn to prevent it in our daily life. How can we better prevent sciatica? Here is a look at it!
Sciatica: It can be said to be a symptom manifestation. Its symptoms are radiating pain from the hip up to the whole leg of the foot. The main cause of sciatica is lumbar pathology, including: lumbar disc bulge, protrusion, prolapse, spinal stenosis, etc.. Among them, lumbar disc herniation compresses the sciatic nerve to produce pain most commonly, and this secondary disease brings great pain to many middle-aged and elderly patients and affects their lives.
What are the causes of sciatica?
1, caused by disorders of the spinal bones and joints and the surrounding soft tissues: such as contusions, sprains caused by local injuries, bleeding, edema, adhesions and muscle spasms.
2, caused by spinal cord and spinal nerve disorders: such as spinal cord tumors, myelitis, etc. caused by back pain.
3, caused by internal organ disorders: such as infection and tumor of the uterus and its adnexa can cause lumbosacral pain, and such patients are often accompanied by corresponding gynecological symptoms.
4, caused by mental factors: such as hysterical patients may also be the main complaint of lumbar disease, but there are no objective signs, or objective examination and subjective narrative can not be explained by physiological anatomy and pathological knowledge, this kind of lumbar pain is often a manifestation of hysteria.
Symptoms of sciatica.
1. Pain
When the patient’s lumbar region is stimulated, there will be radiating pain along the course and distribution of sciatica. The radioactive pain is an overcharge-like string of numbness, starting from the waist and radiating to the buttocks and feet. Patients may experience constant pain like pins and needles on the lateral side of the calf and the posterior side of the thigh. The pain increases when the patient bends over or moves, and decreases after rest or when lying on the side.
2. Weakness of lower limbs
Some patients, due to the long-term compression of the sciatic nerve root, generally do not like to exercise in order to reduce pain. In the long run, patients will experience weakness of the lower limbs and the muscles innervated by the sciatic nerve are relatively flabby.
3.Muscle atrophy
When sciatica is severe, the Achilles tendon reflex disappears or the muscles atrophy. The skin on the sick side may have other manifestations such as neurological disorders and malnutrition.
4.Positive straight leg raise test
When patients with sciatica perform straight leg raising test, it is a typical symptom of sciatica that it is difficult to reach 70° because of the painful appearance of limited raising.
What diseases can trigger sciatica?
1.Lumbar spinal stenosis
Most often seen in middle-aged men, the early stage often has “intermittent claudication”, the pain in the lower limbs is aggravated after walking, but the symptoms are reduced or disappear after bending and walking or resting. When the nerve root or cauda equina is severely compressed, symptoms and signs of sciatica may appear on one or both sides, and the course of the disease is progressively aggravated, and treatment such as bed rest or traction is ineffective. The diagnosis can be confirmed by X-ray or CT of lumbosacral spine.
2.Lumbosacral radiculitis
It develops due to infection, poisoning, nutritional and metabolic disorders or strain, cold and other factors. Generally, the onset is acute and the damage often extends beyond the sciatic nerve innervation area, manifesting as weakness, pain and mild muscle atrophy of the entire lower limb, and the knee tendon reflex is often weakened or disappeared in addition to the Achilles tendon reflex.
3.Lumbar disc herniation
Patients often have a long history of recurrent low back pain, or a history of heavy physical labor, often with acute onset after a lumbar injury or bending labor. In addition to the typical symptoms and signs of radicular sciatica, there is also lumbar muscle spasm, lumbar spine movement restriction and loss of lumbar forward flexion, and there may be obvious pressure pain and radiating pain in the intervertebral space at the site of disc herniation. x-ray radiographs may show narrowing of the affected intervertebral space, and CT examination may confirm the diagnosis.
How to better prevent sciatica?
1. Properly control the amount of diet
Patients with sciatica should have a reasonable mix of miscellaneous foods. Overeating is strictly prohibited, and if the quality of the diet cannot be scientifically controlled and matched, then obesity is inevitable. This is one of the prevention methods of sciatica.
2. Drinking a small amount of alcohol
A small amount of alcohol is beneficial to the prevention of sciatica, depending on the amount of alcohol for each person, more than 50 ml should not be exceeded, because too much alcohol will cause more damage to the liver, reduce the body rabbit immunity, and have a serious impact on the recovery of the disease.
3, pay attention to warmth and rest
Sciatica patients need to improve the living conditions, keep the environment ventilated and dry, prevent cold and moisture, especially after sweating, should not be cold, should be kept dry, not sitting or lying on the cool wet ground.
4.Avoid prolonged sitting and standing
Investigation shows that long-term sitting people, lumbar intervertebral disc pressure is the largest, easy to lead to lumbar disc protrusion, causing sciatica. Should be a combination of work and rest, regular work and rest and living.
5, strengthen exercise
Sciatica is closely related to the lack of exercise in long-term sitting and standing, so we should enhance our own physical fitness and strengthen physical exercise to avoid or reduce the chance of infection. Pay attention to the protection of the waist and affected limbs after exercise, underwear should be changed in a timely manner after sweating, to prevent wet clothes from being warmed and dried on the body, and sweating should not be bathed immediately, and then washed after sweating to prevent cold and wind.
6, correct posture
Improper standing, sitting and sleeping posture can lead to sciatica, and it is important to find and correct the wrong posture in time. The correct posture is to keep the waist and spine upright and reduce lumbar lordosis.
7.Avoid germ infection
After infection of the teeth, paranasal sinuses, tonsils, etc., the toxins produced by pathogens (bacteria or viruses) invade the sciatic nerve via the bloodstream to cause sciatica, also known as primary sciatica, which is an inflammation of the interstitial nerve. Bacterial or viral infections can both cause and aggravate the disease.