Avoid Sciatica Symptoms

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Find out if you're a candidate for a minimally invasive alternative to open neck or back surgery

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Avoid Sciatica Symptoms

Sciatica is a painful condition that arises when the sciatic nerve located in the lower back is impinged upon. Symptoms of the affliction include pain, numbness, tingling, muscle spasms, weakness, and more in the lower back, buttocks, legs, and feet. However, there are a number of steps you can take to avoid developing the condition, and even to minimize the intensity of symptoms if you already suffer from it.

Steps you can take to avoid sciatica and minimize symptoms include:

Stay at a healthy weight - Sciatica is based in the lower portion of the spine, which also bears most of the body’s weight. By maintaining a healthy weight, you can reduce pressure on this area of the spine and avoid herniated disc, bulging disc, or another condition that could cause sciatica symptoms.
Perform low-impact exercises - Activities like swimming and walking allow you to get exercise without putting undue stress on the lower back as other activities like running can.
Maintain core body strength -Strengthening your abdominal and back muscles helps your body stabilize the spine and reduce the amount of pressure put on it.
Stretch - Lengthening the back with stretches reduces pressure on the spine and its intervertebral discs.

When You Can’t Avoid Sciatica

If you’ve tried these steps and still experience sciatica symptoms, then conservative treatments are your next best bet. These include:

Epidural steroid injections
Physical therapy
Heat and ice therapy
Prescription medication
Over the counter painkillers
Stretching
Exercise
Rest

Although most people find they can avoid sciatica symptoms with these conservative treatments and by following the steps listed above, a minority continue to suffer from debilitating pain and other symptoms caused by their condition. For these people, surgery is the only option left. However, open back surgeries are not the only type of procedure available. Endoscopic spine treatment at Laser Spine Institute is a proven alternative to open back surgery and boasts a 90% patient satisfaction rate without the need for general anesthesia, long incision, a hospital stay, or a lengthy recovery time. In fact, most patients are back to normal activity within just six weeks after having the procedure.

If you’d like more information on endoscopic spine surgery or any of the ways to avoid sciatica, contact Laser Spine Institute. We’ll have one of our spine doctors review your MRI or CT scan free of charge to establish whether or not you’re a candidate for one of our minimally invasive procedures.

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