If you feel pain or numbness in your buttocks, thighs, or legs in your daily life, it may be sciatica.
It's not a severe pain, but the tingling, throbbing, and tingling pain is painful.
Sciatica is relieved by compresses, but it gradually gets worse, and it may cause walking and urinary disorders. Find out the cause of sciatica as soon as possible so that it can be treated.
This time,In addition to explaining the causes and treatments of sciatica, we will also introduce effective massage and stretching.
If you are suffering from sciatica, please refer to it.
table of contents
１．What is sciatica
Sciatica is caused by various causes,General term for pain and numbness from the buttocks to the legsis.
Sciatica is caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve, but there are two main causes:
- “Lumbar disc herniation”
- "Lumbar spinal canal stenosis"
By understanding each feature, you are more likely to reduce the burden in your daily life, so please use it as a reference.
1-1. Lumbar disc herniation
A lumbar disc herniation is a disease in which a disc in the lumbar spine protrudes or bulges out, compressing nerves and causing sciatica.
Intervertebral discs connect bones and act as cushions, allowing smooth bone movement.
A protruding or protruding intervertebral disc is called a “disc herniation,” and it can also occur in the cervical and thoracic vertebrae. When a herniation occurs in the lumbar spine, it is called a lumbar disc herniation, which is common among young people in their 20s and 30s and men in their 40s and older, and is characterized by a bimodal age distribution.
Be aware that bending forward such as sitting cross-legged, sitting sideways, stooping, or bending over can promote lumbar disc herniation.will do. In particular, it is strictly prohibited to suddenly lift heavy objects.
1-2. Lumbar spinal stenosis
Lumbar spinal stenosis isA disease that causes sciatica by narrowing the spinal canal around the waist and compressing the cauda equina nerveis.
In the center of the spine is the spinal canal, through which the spinal cord and nerves pass. When the intervertebral discs and vertebrae become deformed and the spinal canal narrows, it puts pressure on the nerves and causes pain and numbness in various parts of the body.
Narrowing of the spinal canal is generally caused by aging, and is often seen in middle-aged and older people over the age of 50. "Lumbar disc herniation" requires attention to forward leaning posture such as bending forward, while "lumbar spinal canal stenosis" requires attention not to bend the back.
Arching your back, twisting your lower back, or stretching your spine can also make the pain worse.
２．Causes of sciatica
In addition to lumbar disc herniation and lumbar spinal canal stenosis, the causes of sciatica include the following symptoms:
| List of causes of sciatica | detail |
| piriformis syndrome | The piriformis is a muscle in the back of your buttocks.
When the piriformis muscle tightens, it presses on the sciatic nerve, which runs sideways, causing sciatica.
|
| degenerative lumbar spondylosis | It is a disease that causes sciatica by deforming the lumbar vertebrae due to aging. |
| Lumbar Spondylolisthesis/Spondylolisthesis | Repeated jumping and twisting movements can cause cracks in the lumbar vertebrae, causing lower back pain and numbness in the legs. It is a type of stress fracture that is more common in athletes. |
| Spondylitis/spondyl caries | It is a disease in which infected bacteria are carried to the spine and suppurate. When the spine is crushed or pus accumulates in the spinal cord, the nerve is compressed and causes sciatica. |
| Nerve tumor/lumbar tumor | Tumors form in the nerves and lumbar spine, and they cause sciatica by compressing the nerves. |
| Herpes zoster | When the herpes zoster virus infects the sciatic nerve, severe pain and a rash occur. |
In addition, desk work, standing work, etc.Staying in the same position for a long time, weakened abdominal and back muscles, coldness, and obesity can also cause sciatica.So be careful.
３．Massage and stretching techniques to relieve sciatica
Massage and stretching are effective in relieving sciatica.
Among massages, full-body shiatsu massage is particularly effective. Relaxing not only the piriformis and the muscles around the buttocks, but also the muscles of the whole body leads to the relief of sciatica. Stretching can help relieve sciatica by loosening tight muscles and improving blood circulation.
howeverNote that the optimal method of massage and stretching varies depending on the cause of sciatica.will do. Choosing the wrong technique can make your symptoms worse.
In the case of lumbar disc herniation and sciatica due to lumbar spinal canal stenosis, the following methods are effective, so please refer to them.
- Cat pose for lumbar disc herniation
For sciatica caused by lumbar spinal stenosis, avoiding slouched postures and inverting your body into a round pose can help reduce pain.
- "Knee holding exercises" effective for lumbar spinal canal stenosis
Prepare a pillow and a chair, and put your feet on the seat of the chair while lying on your back. To prevent blood clots, occasionally rotate your ankles and hold your knees to stretch your lower back muscles.
* However, please do not do this if you have a lumbar disc herniation.
４．Effective treatment for sciatica
As a treatment for sciatica,“Conservative treatment” and “Surgery treatment”there is.
"Conservative treatment" refers to treatments other than surgery, and you can choose the one that suits your lifestyle. Surgery is the last resort, so let's examine the progress with "conservative treatment" first.
4-1. Conservative treatment
For conservative treatment,“Exercise therapy”, “physical therapy”, “drug therapy”And so on.
Correct understanding of each therapy may alleviate the symptoms of sciatica, so if you are suffering from it, please use it.
In particular, “regenerative medicine,” which allows treatment while reducing the burden on the patient, is now considered effective. Helene Clinic also conducts regenerative medicine using the patient's own stem cells, so please feel free to contact us if you are interested.
・Inquiry form (LINE, We Chat, email support):https://stemcells.jp/contact/
４−１−１．exercise therapy
Exercise therapy isHow to improve blood circulation and increase muscle strength by stretching and muscle trainingis.
By improving blood circulation, the pain of sciatica is relieved, muscle strength is increased, and the load on the intervertebral disc can be reduced. In addition, it is essential to keep the correct posture to prevent and improve sciatica.
Strengthen your abdominal and back muscles and aim for the ideal posture in which your spine draws an S-shaped curve.
４−１−２．physical therapy
Physical therapy includes heat therapy, massage therapy, and traction therapy.
Heat therapy and massage therapyIt improves blood circulation and relieves pain, and traction therapy reduces the load on the intervertebral disc by pulling the affected area.is.
４−１−３．drug therapy
For sciatica, pain relievers and other drugs (medicine) are used to relieve pain.
In recent years, the number of types of pain relievers has increased, and treatment can proceed while searching for the medicine that suits you.is characterized by
4-2. surgical treatment
There is a suitable method for surgery for "lumbar disc herniation" and "lumbar spinal canal stenosis", which are the main causes of sciatica. If you get a diagnosis and treat it correctly, you can greatly improve your symptoms, so be sure to visit a clinic.
４−２−１．Effective surgical treatment for lumbar disc herniation
There are two effective surgical treatments for disc herniation:
- Love Law
How to remove protruding intervertebral discs. The Rub method is the traditional method of removing an intervertebral disc, and an incision is made 5 to 6 cm from the back. However, there are now methods to reduce the burden on the body, such as performing surgery under a microscope or an endoscope, or inserting an operator and performing resection with small forceps.
- Lumbar fusion surgery
A method of resecting a wide range of intervertebral discs, not just protruding intervertebral discs, and fixing them with bone grafts.
４−２−２． Effective surgical treatment for lumbar spinal canal stenosis
Effective surgical treatments for lumbar spinal stenosis include the following:
If the pain is severe, you may choose surgical treatment, so don't leave it alone and see a clinic or specialist at an early stage.
- laminectomy
A procedure to remove the vertebral arch and ligamentum flavum to remove the narrowing of the spinal canal.
- Lumbar posterior fusion
A method of fixing the lumbar spine from behind by grafting bone instead of just removing the vertebral arch.
５．Summary: If you suffer from sciatica, consult a specialist
It is important to identify and treat the cause of sciatica, but it is also necessary to deal with pain and numbness while receiving conservative treatment. Aim for a body that is less prone to sciatica while being aware of moderate exercise and a well-balanced diet, and paying attention to obesity.
moreoverRegenerative medicine using stem cells to repair intervertebral discs is also attracting attention as a way to deal with sciatica.It has been. It treats cartilage and bone diseases using stem cells extracted from your own body. There are many options for sciatica, so talk to a specialist.
At the Helene Clinic, we perform "regenerative medicine" using mesenchymal stem cells. If you are currently suffering from sciatica, please feel free to contact us.
・Inquiry form (LINE, We Chat, email support):https://stemcells.jp/contact/
Supervision: Dr. Yasushi Tsuda