Sciatica most commonly occurs when a herniated disk, bone spur on the spine, or narrowing of the spine (spinal stenosis) compresses part of the nerve. The above conditions cause inflammation, pain, and often some numbness and tingling in the affected leg.
Sciatica hallmark: pain radiates from the lumbar spine down to the buttock and the back of your leg, thigh, laptop, and calf. Sciatica might results in discomfort almost anywhere along the nerve pathway; typically, sciatica affects only one side of your body.
The discomfort can vary widely, from a mild ache to a sharp, burning sensation or excruciating pain. Sometimes it can feel like a jolt or electric shock. It can be worse when you cough or sneeze, and prolonged sitting can aggravate symptoms.
Some people also have numbness, tingling, or muscle weakness in the affected leg or foot. You might have pain in one part of your leg and numbness in another region.
Although the pain associated with sciatica can be severe, most cases resolve with non-operative treatments in a few weeks. People with severe sciatica associated with significant leg weakness or bowel or bladder changes might be candidates for surgery.
Source: the above information abstracted from Mayo Clinic
Ping's meridians massage and electric acupuncture have treated sciatica effectively. Most cases of acute sciatica got pain to relive after 1-2 treatments. Chronic sciatica had used our treatments as needed.
Case-1 A 63-year-old female patient had had sciatica issues; at age 53, her MRI showed 4 mm posterior disk bulging with mild stenosis at the L4-5 level. She used Ping's meridian massage and electric acupuncture to relieve her sciatica once as needed. The sciatica issue had not bothered her daily life for ten years until she had a severe rear-end collision.
Unfortunately, at age 63, the auto accident injury caused her sciatica shooting pain from the left side buttock all way down to her left foot with numbness, tingling, and burning sensation in her left thigh and ankle. Her new MRI showed 1) There is an interval significant progression of the disease. 2) Multi disks bulge 2-7 mm from L3 to S1 with foraminal stenosis. 3) L4-L5: 7-8mm disk bulge with overlapping 6-7 mm anterolisthesis; moderate to severe spinal canal stenosis; left and right foraminal stenosis with L4 nerve root impingements on both sides.
A neurosurgeon with clinical experiences over 20 years suggested the patient had L4-L5 lumbar interbody fusion surgery ASAP.
The patient was concerned about potential complications from fusion surgery and decided no surgery at the moment; she would try Ping's meridian massage and electric acupuncture to reduce sciatica pain first. In the beginning, she had treatment once to twice a week; after six treatments, her shooting pain and other symptoms were 70% improved. She saw the hope to manage sciatica pain without surgery. She had about twelve treatments for her sciatica issues in that year. Five years passed, she is 68 now, she hasn't had lumbar fusion surgery, and her sciatica is manageable with Ping's treatments as needed.
Case-2 38-year-old male patient has suffered from lower back pain and sciatica for 15 years. At age 23, his MRI showed multi disks bulge 3-4mm from L3 to S1 with a small central disk protrusion at the L4-5 level. At age 36, his MRI showed: 1) No evidence of significant spinal canal stenosis or neural foraminal stenosis. 2) Multiple moderate lumbar stenoses and facet arthropathies. In the past 15 years, he had used Ping's meridian massage and electric acupuncture when his pain recurred to managed sciatica and kept his daily activities going. So far, his sciatica condition has stabilized.
We do Ping's meridian massage and electric acupuncture on the main points along with the bladder and gallbladder meridian, which treat sciatica issues very effectively.
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