Sciatic nerve pinching is often diagnosed in modern people. When pinched, compression by the vertebrae or muscles causes irritation of the nerve tissues.
There can be many reasons for pinching, but this pain is difficult to deal with confuse – it can hurt from the lower back to the toes, and even with numbness, tingling or weakness in the leg.
Of course, if such a nuisance has happened to you, then you should consult a doctor and not suffer, but if for various reasons this is temporarily not possible, then you should know how to relieve pain when pinched yourself.
Massage for pinched sciatic nerve, simple exercise, pain relief for pinched – read about all this in the article below.
Causes and symptoms of pinched sciatic nerve
Sciatic nerve – most large in the human body. It passes with its plexus of nerve fibers from the spine (sacral segment of the spinal cord) to the foot – through the buttock, hamstring and entire leg.
There are only three main causes of compression (pressure on the nerve roots) – inflammation, problems with the spine and a sharp spasm of the muscles. But the factors provoking these reasons – a lot of. By the way, sometimes all three causes can be present in one patient.
Spine problems leading to pinching of the sciatic nerve:
- Osteochondrosis (bone growths compress the nerve roots).
- Intervertebral hernias.
- Displacement of the vertebrae in the lumbar region.
- Serious curvature of the spine.
- Tumors.
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Inflammation can occur due to soft tissue injury in the area where the nerve bundles pass, hypothermia (both general and local), a general inflammatory process in the body (for example, caused by an infection or a virus), as well as neoplasms in soft tissues.
Sharp muscle spasm can occur in professional athletes who withstand colossal physical exertion.
But in everyday life, compression due to muscle spasm is more likely to occur when sedentary people are suddenly exposed to intense exercise without proper preparation.
For example, if you have never been involved in sports in your life (and even banal exercise was not part of your lifestyle), then you should not try to set Olympic records the first time you go to the gym (especially without a qualified coach!). Gradual and smooth increase in load – the gold standard of any training for beginners.
Read also: Treatment of a pinched nerve – the sooner the better
Pregnant women are often concerned about how to free the sciatic nerve from pinching and relieve pain. in late pregnancy, a woman's body (especially her spine) is under tremendous stress and may not be able to cope with it.
Typical symptoms of a pinched sciatic nerve:
- Pain in the lumbosacral region, which always radiates to the leg (sometimes the entire leg is covered in pain - from the buttock to the fingers).
- Numbness or tingling in the lower back, pelvis or leg.
- Weakness in leg that makes it difficult to walk.
- Swelling and redness of the painful area.
- Painful urination.
- In severe cases – incontinence of urine and feces.
- High temperature (from 38 degrees).
If you are experiencing at least a few of the symptoms from this list, you should not hesitate to visit a doctor.
Sciatic nerve pinched: treatment
Before prescribing treatment, a neurologist must diagnose the disease. To do this, the specialist will conduct an examination, interview and prescribe hardware studies, as well as analyzes.
Among the hardware pinch diagnostic methods:
- MRI or CT scan of the lumbar spine.
- X-ray of the pelvic bones and lumbosacral region.
Blood and urine tests are usually taken to check for inflammation in the body.
How to free the sciatic nerve from pinching:
- Medications
- Therapeutic exercise
- Massage
- Physiotherapy
All these methods are best used in combination.
Medications include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs of local and general action (injections are preferable to tablets, as they act faster), warming ointments or gels, vitamins of group B, which have a beneficial effect on the functioning of nerve endings.
If the situation is severe, then pinching pain is performed by blocking the sciatic nerve with injections of diclofenac, novocaine or lidocaine directly into the affected area. This technique is used only if the pain is unbearable or the standard treatment regimen does not give enough results.
Read also: Sciatic nerve entrapment: disease or symptom
If it is possible to use massage therapy for pinched sciatica as an adjunctive therapy, then consult a good chiropractor or massage therapist with experience in working with such patients. The masseur will be able to perform a general massage, and an experienced chiropractor – point. Both will improve mobility and relieve pain.
If this is not possible, you can do a light massage if the sciatic nerve is pinched on your own. Just lightly knead and rub the sore leg along its entire length several times a day, ask someone close to stretch your lower back a little. Just do not press too hard, so as not to increase the pain!
Therapeutic exercises to relieve pain when pinched
Therapeutic exercise is indispensable in this case, especially if the question is how to free the sciatic nerve from pinching and relieve pain.
If the situation is not critical, simple exercises can be performed even at home, carefully monitoring your feelings and well-being.
Read also: Three Exercises to Unlock a Pinched Sciatic Nerve
All basic pinching exercises are aimed at stretching the muscles and gently stretching the spine, which allows you to reduce pressure on the nerve roots, releasing them and removing pain.
General Rules for Pinching Therapy Charging:
- All movements should be smooth and slow.
- Stretch as much as possible while exhaling.
- If acute discomfort occurs, the exercises should be stopped immediately.
Exercise 1
Lie on your back on a flat floor. Bend the sore leg and, holding it with your hands by the knee, pull it towards you (to the shoulder). When the point of maximum possible stretch is reached, linger in this position for 30 seconds (or as long as possible). Slowly straighten your leg. Repeat several times.
Exercise 2
Lie on your back on a flat floor. Bend your knees and pull them to your chest without lifting your pelvis off the floor. Throw a sick leg on a healthy one. Grasp the leg on the leg with your hands under the knee and pull it to the chest to the maximum limit. Hold this position for 30 seconds (or as long as you can). Slowly straighten your legs. Repeat several times.
Exercise 3
Lie on your back on a flat floor. Stretch your arms to the sides and rest them on the floor. Raise your legs up. Holding them together, perform smooth tilts with your legs in both directions to an angle of 45 degrees. Control the lower back so that it remains relaxed, and only the abdominal muscles work with the support of the hands. Repeat 10 times.
Read also: Rules and exercises of Katsuzo Nishi to strengthen the spine
In any case, a pinched sciatic nerve is easier to prevent than to treat. To do this, strengthen your muscles and spine (but without heavy physical exertion - regular exercise is enough), maintain normal weight, monitor your posture, sleep on a hard mattress, avoid hypothermia and try not to lift weights. Health to you!
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