The Treatment Of Sciatica With Spinal Decompression
Sciatica has long been a difficult and unrelenting symptom to treat. Many treatments have failed to produce long term results, until now. A new treatments provides relief in the majority of cases without the risk on invasive procedures.
The term sciatica is often used to describe pain down the leg, however the true definition of sciatica is irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is a combination of several nerves as they leave the lower back .The majority of cases of sciatica are caused by herniated or bulging discs in the lumbar spine. These discs are soft cartilaginous structures that provide cushion between each vertebrae.
The disc is essentially made up of two materials an outer layer consistent with cartilage and a much softer inner portion almost gelatinous in nature. With wear and tear the outer fibers can weaken allowing the softer material to gradually migrate outwards. This in turn causes an out pouching or bulging of the disc which then can compromise the exiting nerve. When this occurs symptoms of sciatica can manifest. This may include pain, numbness and even weakness in the leg.
The most common treatments for sciatica include medication, injections and potentially surgery.While medications like muscle relaxers and NSAIDS can provide temporary relief they don’t actually fix the problem. When the problem becomes more then just inflammation and is the result of actual nerve compression from the disc these medications rarely help. Treatments like injections may also be effective at temporarily decreases the swelling of the nerve, but again once the medication wears off the pain will return. These approaches also carry with them significant risk of side effects.
Steroid injections are one of the most common treatments utilized for severe sciatica as we have outlined previously. The goal of the injection is to reduce inflammation and soothe the surrounding areas. The problem is that the injection is only temporary and offers no real long term benefit for the patient. Side effect can include spinal headaches, a rebound pain phenomenon and a spike in blood sugar in diabetics. The relief obtained can sometimes be worth the risk, however a proactive approach must be coupled with the short term pain relief.
Some of the worst cases of sciatica may be referred for surgery. This approach may help a small number of these cases and may in fact be the treatment of choice, however it brings with it significant risk factors and a poor success rate. Spinal surgeries have about a 50% success rate and often can lead to a condition called failed back surgery syndrome. This condition is usually caused by scar tissue formation, spinal instability or another disc being involved due to increase stress on adjacent levels. It is also very likely another surgery may be indicated in the future.
One of the newest and most effective treatments for sciatica is Spinal Decompression. This technology uses a patented computer system that is able to gently distract the spine and bypass the muscle guarding response, thus creating a negative pressure in the disc. This negative pressure draws in fluid and nutrition so the disc can heal, while also reducing herniated and bulging material to take pressure off the nerve to reduce pain. The technology has over an 80% success rate and doesn’t bring with it the risk of side effect associated with other treatments. It also treats the cause of the sciatica reducing the chances of another episode down the road.
While spinal decompression may not be right for everyone suffering from sciatica, research shows it to be a very promising and long term option for many. Because it offers a true healing environment for the disc and nerves the problem is not just masked or covered up, but a true healing of the structures takes place. The treatment is safe and represents a real promise for sciatica sufferers everywhere.
