Where Does My Siatica Come From?
Most acute back pain and siatica (correctly spelt as
sciatica) is the result of:
- a trauma i.e. an injury to your lower back, or
- a longer-term disorder such as arthritis.
- a build of small "bad back habits" over a period of
time
- a symptom of an underlying "general malaise" for
example diet deficiencies
An injury and pain from your sciatica may be caused by a
variety of routine activities such as:
- a sports injury,
- work around the house, or in the garden,
- a sudden jolt such as a car accident or fall, or
- other stresses on your spinal bones and surrounding
tissues, especially repetitive, stressful movements.
Oh, and sciatica is the correct spelling, but you will often
see it spelled siatica.
Siatica symptoms
These may range from:
- muscle ache to shooting or stabbing back pain,
- limited flexibility and range of motion, and/or
- an inability to stand straight.
Chronic back pain is usually defined as pain that persists
for more than 3 months. It is often progressive and the cause
can be difficult to determine.
What Is The Recommended Treatment?
Most siatica and low back pain can be treated without
surgery. The goal of treatment is to reduce and stop the pain,
restore proper function and strength to your back so as to
prevent recurrence of the injury.
Medications are often used to treat acute and chronic low
back pain. Effective pain relief may involve a combination of
prescription drugs and over-the-counter remedies.
You may also want to consider visiting a specialist such as
a chiropractor, an osteopath, or a physiotherapist. See the
menu option on the left for information on chiropractors.
Some people find the the use of cold and hot compresses
helps reduce pain and inflammation and allows greater
mobility.
Generally, ice applied to an injury site immediately after
its occurrence stimulates blood flow to the area and helps to
reduce pain and inflammation.
We recommend the Better Back System as a way to stop your
back pain and help you to loosen and strengthen your
surrounding joints and supporting muscles.
Rest or Exercise?
These days bed rest is usually recommended for only 1–2 days
at most. Your goal is to resume activities as soon as
possible.
You can help prevent repeat injuries by engaging in regular
exercise that doesn't jolt or strain your back and helps you
maintain correct posture.
Always take care to lift objects properly: bend your knees,
keep the object close to you and your back straight.
In the most serious cases, when a condition does not respond
to other therapies, surgery may relieve pain caused by back
problems or serious musculoskeletal injuries.
Siatica Prevention
Regular, preventative exercise may be the most effective way
to speed recovery and reduce or stop back pain.
In particular, exercises that help you strengthen your "core
stability" muscles and the abdominal muscles that both help to
support and protect your back will pay dividends.
This why we recommend the Better Back System because it
helps you loosen and strengthen the joints and supporting
muscles that help your back stay injury free.
What Can I Expect In The Future?
Most patients with siatica and back pain recover without
residual functional loss, IF they eliminate the cause of the
problem.
Recurring back pain often results from improper body
mechanics (posture, lifting etc), or other non-traumatic
causes.
Said another way, you can usually prevent this type of
siatica if you stop doing whatever it is that aggravates your
back.
Many work-related injuries are caused or aggravated by
stressors such as heavy lifting, vibration, repetitive motion,
and awkward posture.
Applying ergonomic principles — designing furniture and
tools to protect the body from injury — at home and in the
workplace can greatly reduce the risk of back injury and help
maintain a healthy back.
Warning:
Note: If there is not a noticeable reduction in your pain
and inflammation after 72 hours of self-care contact your
doctor.
Healthy Nutrition For Your Back
I'm a healthy eater, so I was really surprised
when I started using a food supplement and found that it got
rid of a lot of my "low level" aches and pains and generally
made me feel a whole lot livelier.
Basically, you need to get the the right foods with the
right nutrients into yourself to give your body the vital
minerals and trace elements it needs to function and heal
itself properly. It appears as if long term soil depletion has
caused many foods - even fresh and seemingly natural foods - to
lack these the vital minerals and trace elements.
Also, many of the foods we eat are highly processed, so the
true nutritional value is low. We therefore suggest a natural
nutrition supplement to make sure your body gets all the
nutrients it needs.
We recommend you use a natural, whole-food based supplement,
not pills. Body Balance from LifeForce International is one of
the best we've found so far, but there are others.
There's no mystery really. A diet based with a good
proportion of fresh natural foods, supported by a food
supplement and moderate exercise are the keys to an active and
healthy life and a healthy back.
If you pay attention to a few key things, you'll start on
the road to good overall health, a better back and ending your
back pain and sciatica.
P.S. Remember to take a look at the Better Back System
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