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In the United States, at any one point in time approximately 1% of the population is dealing with pain from sciatica. This is the result of a herniated disc pushing on a nerve root, which in layman’s terms is known as a pinched nerve. Pain management doctors in Arizona see patients with sciatica all the time.
Sciatica pain is extremely unpleasant, and often feels like a searing or a burning pain down one of a person’s legs. What are the appropriate steps for pain management when dealing with sciatica and attempting to avoid surgery? The 1st step is not to panic. it is a very common situation and if you ask a lot of your friends they have either had the experience or know someone who has been dealing with it and have gone to a pain clinic Mesa AZ.
After you have successfully accomplished the 1st step of not panicking, the 2nd step is to make an appointment with a local Phoenix chiropractor or pain management doctor. A chiropractor Scottsdale utilizes spinal adjustments, spinal decompression therapy, and physical rehab in order to achieve pain relief. Studies have shown that chiropractic treatment does very well for sciatica.
The problem though is that chiropractors cannot prescribe medication. This is why seeing your primary doctor or pain management doctor can help so that they can prescribe muscle relaxers and short term narcotics. Over-the-counter Tylenol and anti-inflammatory medication can help as well.
Along with these short-term medications, it is a terrible idea stay in bed while dealing with the pain. Studies have shown that being up and active is much better than laying in bed.
Included in this step of seeing a chiropractor and a medical doctor is to try some physical therapy and a tens unit. This can help tremendously with pain relief.
The next step in pain treatment from sciatica is an epidural injection. This may need to be accomplished sooner rather than later if the individual is suffering from sciatica so bad that physical therapy or chiropractic treatment is simply not possible due to the pain. An epidural injection bathes the nerve root with soothing steroid medication to decrease inflammation and pain. Often times these injections are given as a series, and as long as they’re giving more and more release the whole series should be accomplished. All the pain is taken care of with the 1st injection, the rest of the series can be put on hold.
The effectiveness of epidural steroid injections is over 75%. It does not cure the problem, but it puts a proverbial Band-Aid on it while the body hopefully will disintegrate the small piece of disc that is pushing on the nerve root and leading to sciatica.
If surgery can be avoided, that would be best since studies have shown that the outcome from surgery at one year is the same whether or not an operation is undertaken. If a person develops muscle weakness from the pinched nerve or the pain is just simply not getting better after 6 to 8 weeks, then surgery becomes indicated. But over 90% of the time, it can be avoided with the above treatments.
Preferred Pain Center is a comprehensive pain management clinic in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Treatments provided at the center include medical and interventional pain management, chiropractor Phoenix treatment, spinal decompression therapy, physical therapy, and manipulation under anesthesia.
The patients get a free massage. Call 602-507-6550 to schedule today or it
