What causes sciatica

The main cause of sciatica are dystrophic (eating disorders) changes in the intervertebral disc - low back pain Osteochondrosis - learn how to properly distribute the weight . Such changes can occur in the background of trauma, hypothermia, various infections, intoxications (chronic poisoning). In addition, low back pain may occur in metabolic disorders Metabolism: The basis of life of all living things , Various diseases of the musculoskeletal system (including congenital) and circulatory disorders of the spine.

Changes in the intervertebral disk leads to the fact that it is partially decomposed, flattens, losing its cushioning properties, and then bulges and falls, squeezing the nerve roots relevant.

Sciatica

Sciatica - the most common disease of the peripheral nervous system. Most often, it occurs between the ages of 30-50 years, those who daily experience heavy exercise or, in contrast, are sharply limited in such loads and persons working in the cold, in adverse weather conditions.

Sciatica is usually unilateral, and recurrent (often repetitive).

In most patients, the disease starts with low back pain (lumbago or lumbalgia), and pain in the back of the legs (ischialgia - a sign of inflammation of the sciatic nerve).

Lumbago and lumbodynia

Lumbago - a sharp lumbar pain or backache, usually occurs during heavy lifting, injury, lasting from a few minutes to several days, often it is iterative. At the same time, a sharp restriction of movements in the lumbar spine due to pain and muscle tension in the area.

Lumbodynia - not too acute or chronic pain, it occurs after physical exertion, a long stay in an uncomfortable position, with a bumpy ride, colds. The pain is dull aching in nature, enhanced by bending and sitting position, as well as walking.

Cervicothoracic radiculitis

Cervicothoracic radiculitis Breast sciatica - especially diseases   It is less common than the lumbosacral, over the age of 40 years. Often one side is affected and the disease usually takes protracted.

First, there are pains in the neck, extending to areas affected nerve roots. Pain worse when moving head and neck, sometimes extended to the occipital and chest area. Limited mobility of the head and back into the diseased side.

Discogenic sciatica

Discogenic sciatica - a kind of sciatica, which is usually the cause of loss or deterioration of vertebral disks .  Degenerative processes in the spine that lead to discogenic sciatica, considered a normal part of the aging process, although they may start at the end of the second decade of life .  Back pain can appear as early as age 25, but young people they quickly pass .  At older ages, the result of degenerative changes may become chronic sciatica, in which weak or moderate back pain is present almost all the time, and sometimes it becomes so severe that a person can not cope with their daily activities .  Why there are processes, which result becomes discogenic sciatica is unknown, but it is believed that this contributes to several factors, among them - genetics, diet, exercise .

Discogenic sciatica symptoms at first may appear only occasionally - during long workouts, after prolonged sitting, due to sharp changes in posture, and so on. In the later stages of this disorder, slight or moderate back pain can almost always present and amplified when a person coughs, sneezes, bends, lifting weights, and so on.

Treatment discogenic sciatica. For mild and moderate forms of discogenic sciatica your doctor may prescribe a patient receiving anti-inflammatory drugs and physical therapy. From medicines most commonly used NSAIDs - they are effective in relieving pain and are safe enough, but some of them can cause serious side effects such as bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. Exercises with radiculitis appointed an experienced doctor, help to strengthen the back muscles, increase flexibility, and reduce the load on the spine. Unfortunately, conservative treatment does not always help, and for the treatment of discogenic sciatica often have to resort to surgery.

Infectious sciatica

Sciatica called infectious disorders in which inflammation of the spinal cord begins on the result of different infections spine. Sciatica this type is very rare, according to rough estimates - in one case in 250,000. Such infections can cause a variety of microorganisms, but the most common causative agent is Staphylococcus aureus. Also typical of sciatica pain in patients with infectious sciatica may experience symptoms such as muscle cramps and fever.

If the disease is detected early enough, and had not yet seriously damage the bone may be conservative treatment - antibiotics Antibiotics - whether they will help you in the foreseeable future? If necessary - analgesics, and in some cases and bed rest. In more severe cases, patients can not be helped without surgery.

The symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis

Intervertebral osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine can be confused with other diseases   It develops as a result of prolonged sitting in an uncomfortable position - behind office desk, driving a car, as well as the presence of scoliosis, creating an uneven load on the spine. Heavy exercise in the form of heavy lifting exacerbate the process.

It manifested in the form of the disease symptoms associated with infringement of spinal nerves. Thoracic osteochondrosis Osteochondrosis - learn how to properly distribute the weight   spine with radicular syndrome manifests as pain encircling the type intercostal neuralgia and acute back pain (dorsago) and chronic (dorsalgia) character. Attacks dorsago develop suddenly, they are usually associated with heavy lifting or unfortunate turn of a trunk. At the same time because of the pain there is respiratory failure - the patient is afraid to breathe.

When dorsalgia pain has a long dull aching character, localized mostly in the affected segments of the spinal column, accompanied by limited mobility of thoracic and cervical-thoracic spine.

Pain-type intercostal neuralgia Neuralgia - the scourge of the elderly   are surrounding the character, the patients get the feeling that the chest as if to batten which leads including the inability to take a deep breath.

Especially breast osteochondrosis is that due to repeated squeezing vegetative fibers spinal roots of its symptoms can easily be mistaken for the symptoms of diseases of internal organs. The symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis can be mistaken for signs of coronary heart disease (angina, myocardial infarction), myocarditis (constant aching pain in the heart), chronic gastritis and gastric ulcer (paroxysmal or persistent stomach pain), renal colic Renal colic: a signal that the danger in the bud   (sudden strong pain in the lower chest to the back) and so on. In order to avoid diseases of internal organs, should be a thorough examination of the patient.

The effects of osteochondrosis - a protrusion and herniated discs. Especially breast osteoarthritis is that the spinal canal in the thoracic region is narrow. Therefore even small protrusion and herniated discs can lead to compression (compression) spinal cord and spinal nerves. However, such complications are rare, as the spine has a much lower overhead than lumbosacral. Compression of the spinal cord can be manifested in the form of sensory and motor disturbances in the lower extremities, as well as pelvic disorders (incontinence and urine). The compression of spinal nerve roots encircling manifested by pain and impaired sensitivity.

The symptoms of lumbosacral osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the lower spine is the most common type of the disease. This is due to high load it on the lumbar spine in standing, walking and lifting weights, as well as the bending of the lumbar spine forward (lumbar lordosis).

Osteochondrosis of the intervertebral discs of the lumbar-sacral spine manifested mainly in the form of radicular pain. Pain while growing, usually slowly. First, there are aching pain in the lower back and sacrum, aggravated by prolonged standing, heavy lifting or failure turn the torso. In addition, exacerbation of lumbosacral degenerative disc disease may be associated with hypothermia.

Not too severe aching pain may be replaced by a strong, sudden sharp pain - backache (lumbago). Lumbago may arise among the overall health of patients, not suspecting the presence of degenerative disc disease at home, that is, it may be the first manifestation. As a rule, lumbago occurs during exercise or turning torso. This solidifies the patient in the position in which he found the pain. The attack of lumbago can last from several minutes to several days.

But the strengthening of nagging chronic pain (lumbalgia) often occurs when supercooling. Pain may be growing very intense, worse when moving.

Lumbago, lumbalgia and may be accompanied by pain along the sciatic nerve sciatica. In this case, the pain extends to the rear of the thigh, and the side surface of the leg and foot. Neurologic manifestations of osteochondrosis may manifest as impaired sensation on the affected side in the lumbosacral region and in the back of the thigh, the lateral surface of the leg and foot. Sensory symptoms - tingling, burning, numbness, pins and needles in the area of ​​impaired innervation.

Neurological complications of osteochondrosis, the effects of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral associated with protrusions and herniated disc. This can occur not only pain and sensory disturbances, and disorders of the pelvic organs, mainly in the feces and urine incontinence, and sexual dysfunction in men.

Osteochondrosis need to detect and treat the early stages of the disease. Therefore, even a slight pain in the neck or back pain should be the reason for seeking medical attention. It will help to stop the progression of the degenerative processes in the spine and allow the patient to maintain a decent level of long life. But you need to completely change their lifestyle in the first place to strengthen motor activity.

Galina Romanenko