What is sciatica? Can I use heat to treat sciatica?

Patients with sciatica usually feel pain in the lower limbs. The location of the pain depends on which nerve root is compressed, and is accompanied by a feeling of numbness. So what is sciatica? How to treat it?

1. The concept of sciatica

Sciatica: refers to sciatic nerve disease, a group of pain symptoms that occur along the sciatic nerve pathway, namely the lower back, buttocks, back of thigh, posterior and lateral side of calf and outer side of foot.

2. Etiology and pathology of sciatica

The sciatic nerve is composed of L5 to S3 nerve roots. According to the location of the lesion, sciatica is divided into radicular and trunk sciatica. In the former, radicular sciatica lesions are mostly located within the spinal canal. The most common cause is lumbar disc herniation, followed by intraspinal tumors, lumbar tuberculosis, lumbar sacral radiculitis, etc. The lesions of dry sciatica are mainly on the course of the sciatic nerve outside the spinal canal. The causes include sacroiliac arthritis, pelvic tumors, uterine compression during pregnancy, buttocks trauma, piriformis syndrome, improper gluteal muscle injection, and diabetes.

3. Treatment of sciatica

If this disease occurs, you should go to the hospital to determine the cause and actively treat the primary disease that compresses or irritates the nerves (such as lumbar disc herniation). For symptomatic treatment, antipyretic and analgesic drugs such as ibuprofen and diclofenac can be used.

4. Auxiliary treatment of sciatica

When pain occurs, you can apply ice to the affected area for 30-60 minutes, several times a day, for two to three consecutive days, and then apply a hot water bottle to the affected area at the same interval. You can also take over-the-counter painkillers such as indomethacin. Before going to bed every day, use a hot towel or hot salt wrapped in cloth to compress your waist or buttocks. The temperature should not be too high, just comfortable.