| Chronic sciatica is a torturous and difficult to resolve | | | | diagnosis, but a symptom of an underlying causative |
| back and leg pain syndrome. Sciatica is not a | | | | condition. True sciatica is sourced by a spinal |
| diagnosis, but a symptom of an underlying causative | | | | abnormality, while pseudo-sciatica can come about |
| condition. True sciatica is sourced by a spinal | | | | due to muscular, circulatory or even psychosomatic |
| abnormality, while pseudo-sciatica can come about | | | | reasons. No matter what the actual cause of |
| due to muscular, circulatory or even psychosomatic | | | | sciatica, chronic symptoms can make life very difficult |
| reasons. No matter what the actual cause of | | | | for affected patients. |
| sciatica, chronic symptoms can make life very difficult | | | | Chronic means long lasting or recurring. For sciatica |
| for affected patients. Chronic means long lasting or | | | | sufferers, there are a great number of different |
| recurring. For sciatica sufferers, there are a great | | | | chronic patterns associated with their symptomatic |
| number of different chronic patterns associated with | | | | expressions. Some patients endure the same pain |
| their symptomatic expressions. Some patients | | | | everyday, while others endure a variable |
| endure the same pain everyday, while others endure | | | | symptomology which can change hour to hour in |
| a variable symptomology which can change hour to | | | | some cases. Many patients endure constant back |
| hour in some cases. Many patients endure constant | | | | and leg pain, while others suffer only at certain times |
| back and leg pain, while others suffer only at certain | | | | of the day, or with certain activities or positions. |
| times of the day, or with certain activities or | | | | Some patients have a little or a lot of pain |
| positions. Some patients have a little or a lot of pain | | | | everyday, while others will have good days without |
| everyday, while others will have good days without | | | | pain and bad days with hellish symptoms. Finally, |
| pain and bad days with hellish symptoms. Finally, | | | | recurrent bouts of acute sciatica or “flare |
| recurrent bouts of acute sciatica or “flare | | | | ups”, as they are often called, can be one of the |
| ups”, as they are often called, can be one of the | | | | most agonizing clinical profiles possible and can create |
| most agonizing clinical profiles possible and can create | | | | a tremendous amount of anxiety in every sciatic |
| a tremendous amount of anxiety in every sciatic | | | | nerve pain sufferer. |
| nerve pain sufferer. Statistically, the most common | | | | Statistically, the most common diagnostic conclusion |
| diagnostic conclusion used to explain sciatic nerve | | | | used to explain sciatic nerve symptoms is a herniated |
| symptoms is a herniated lumbar disc, typically at L4 | | | | lumbar disc, typically at L4/L5 or L5/S1. These are |
| L5 or L5/S1. These are the levels which suffer the | | | | the levels which suffer the greatest and most |
| greatest and most universal degeneration in the | | | | universal degeneration in the human spine, so it is |
| human spine, so it is easy to see why herniations at | | | | easy to see why herniations at these locations are |
| these locations are common diagnostic scapegoats. | | | | common diagnostic scapegoats. However, in order |
| However, in order for these bulging discs to enact | | | | for these bulging discs to enact symptoms, they |
| symptoms, they would have to affect surrounding | | | | would have to affect surrounding neurological tissues |
| neurological tissues through the processes of spinal | | | | through the processes of spinal stenosis or foraminal |
| stenosis or foraminal stenosis. This is because the | | | | stenosis. This is because the spinal discs themselves |
| spinal discs themselves do not feel pain, as they do | | | | do not feel pain, as they do not have blood supply or |
| not have blood supply or nerve endings. Foraminal | | | | nerve endings. |
| stenosis is the usual diagnosis for herniated discs | | | | Foraminal stenosis is the usual diagnosis for herniated |
| theorized to cause sciatica. These “pinched | | | | discs theorized to cause sciatica. These |
| nerves”, as they are often called, go on to form | | | | “pinched nerves”, as they are often called, |
| the sciatic nerve, so it is thought that compression of | | | | go on to form the sciatic nerve, so it is thought that |
| one or more nerve roots can enact sciatica pain. | | | | compression of one or more nerve roots can enact |
| Clinical research has decisively shown that actual | | | | sciatica pain. Clinical research has decisively shown |
| compressed nerves stop signaling altogether, causing | | | | that actual compressed nerves stop signaling |
| a condition of true objective numbness and | | | | altogether, causing a condition of true objective |
| weakness in the regions served by the affected | | | | numbness and weakness in the regions served by |
| nerve structure. There would be no lasting pain or | | | | the affected nerve structure. There would be no |
| tingling, as well as no subjective numbness and | | | | lasting pain or tingling, as well as no subjective |
| weakness common to the vast majority of sciatica | | | | numbness and weakness common to the vast |
| complaints. This makes the pinched nerve theory | | | | majority of sciatica complaints. This makes the |
| lose tremendous credibility as a true source of | | | | pinched nerve theory lose tremendous credibility as a |
| sciatica. Additionally, in order for a herniated disc to | | | | true source of sciatica. Additionally, in order for a |
| actually have any effect on the nerve at all, the | | | | herniated disc to actually have any effect on the |
| bulge would have to virtually completely close off the | | | | nerve at all, the bulge would have to virtually |
| neuroforaminal space, which is a very rare scenario | | | | completely close off the neuroforaminal space, which |
| indeed. Spinal stenosis as a source of sciatica is more | | | | is a very rare scenario indeed. |
| complicated, since stenosis anywhere in the spine can | | | | Spinal stenosis as a source of sciatica is more |
| create a variable pain pattern, along with the typical | | | | complicated, since stenosis anywhere in the spine can |
| neurological symptoms in the legs. Stenosis in the | | | | create a variable pain pattern, along with the typical |
| lower back can create sciatica, as can stenosis far up | | | | neurological symptoms in the legs. Stenosis in the |
| in the cervical spine. This makes diagnosis very | | | | lower back can create sciatica, as can stenosis far up |
| difficult, when the causation is indeed structural. Add | | | | in the cervical spine. This makes diagnosis very |
| to this fact that most stenosis is not symptomatic in | | | | difficult, when the causation is indeed structural. Add |
| anyway, even though anatomical alteration is evident | | | | to this fact that most stenosis is not symptomatic in |
| upon diagnostic imaging, and you really have a hard | | | | anyway, even though anatomical alteration is evident |
| time differentiating between potentially troublesome | | | | upon diagnostic imaging, and you really have a hard |
| stenosis and innocent spinal canal narrowing. Many | | | | time differentiating between potentially troublesome |
| herniated discs, for example, may impinge on the | | | | stenosis and innocent spinal canal narrowing. Many |
| thecal sac surrounding the spinal cord, but do not | | | | herniated discs, for example, may impinge on the |
| have any effect on the cord itself. Even herniations | | | | thecal sac surrounding the spinal cord, but do not |
| which do press into the cord typically may displace | | | | have any effect on the cord itself. Even herniations |
| the cord (creating a frightening image on MRI films), | | | | which do press into the cord typically may displace |
| but usually do not cause any pain or sciatica. | | | | the cord (creating a frightening image on MRI films), |
| However, in some cases, spinal stenosis can be | | | | but usually do not cause any pain or sciatica. |
| problematic and truly enact lower back, buttocks and | | | | However, in some cases, spinal stenosis can be |
| leg pain syndromes. Despite all this doom and gloom, | | | | problematic and truly enact lower back, buttocks and |
| there is some good news about sciatica. Structural | | | | leg pain syndromes. |
| causations which are accurately diagnosed and truly | | | | Despite all this doom and gloom, there is some good |
| do create symptoms most commonly respond very | | | | news about sciatica. Structural causations which are |
| well to indicated medical and complementary | | | | accurately diagnosed and truly do create symptoms |
| treatment. This means that most true anatomical | | | | most commonly respond very well to indicated |
| issues responsible for enacting pain can be completely | | | | medical and complementary treatment. This means |
| cured. For patients with long term symptoms which | | | | that most true anatomical issues responsible for |
| have proven themselves to be unresponsive to | | | | enacting pain can be completely cured. For patients |
| various forms of treatment, the answer is simple. In | | | | with long term symptoms which have proven |
| these cases, the condition is virtually always | | | | themselves to be unresponsive to various forms of |
| misdiagnosed, leading the sufferer on a wild goose | | | | treatment, the answer is simple. In these cases, the |
| chase using treatments which are all targeting | | | | condition is virtually always misdiagnosed, leading the |
| mistakenly identified causes of pain. No wonder the | | | | sufferer on a wild goose chase using treatments |
| treatments fail… | | | | which are all targeting mistakenly identified causes of |
| Chronic sciatica is a torturous and difficult to resolve | | | | pain. |
| back and leg pain syndrome. Sciatica is not a | | | | |