reported complaints. It affects quality of life and reduces social and economic efficacy.
Possibly lower back pain cause of various condition. One of these causes is sciatica pain.
Symptoms
Sciatica pain is symptom of an underlying medical condition of the lower back area. Sciatic pain
usually affects only one side of the body, with the pain extending from the lower back, run through
the buttocks and down the back of each leg, like the calf or toes. When asked to specify what they’re
feeling, our patients with sciatic pain describe the following:
- Pain in the buttocks or leg that worsens with sitting
- Burning, tingling, or searing pain down the leg
- Weakness, numbness or difficulty moving the leg or foot
- Constant pain on one side of the buttocks
- Shooting, sharp pain making it difficult to stand
Causes
Sciatic pain occurs when there is a structural impingement or compression of the sciatic nerve in the
lower back. This occurs when there is an acute injury to the lower back or can be the result of long-
term degeneration of the lumbar area. The location of the painful symptoms in the leg depends on
where in the lower back the sciatic nerve is being compressed.
Common causes
- Degenerative disc disease (the breakdown of the discs that provide cushion between the
vertebrae) - Lumbar spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
- Spondylolisthesis (a fracture in the wing-shaped portion of a vertebrae that causes it to slip
forward over another vertebrae) - Pregnancy (increased pressure on the lumbar spine)
- Herniated lumbar disc A.K.A. Slipped disc, A Bulging disc, Pinched nerve (the cushion between
vertebrae is pushed to the outer portion of the spine)
How does acupuncture work physiologically for pain relief?
When inserting small needles into specific sites on the body, the needles trigger a response from the
nervous system. This response from the nervous system leads our brain to:
- release a cascade of natural painkillers (endorphins and enkephalins),
- increase blood flow to the painful area.
- relax the muscles in the surrounding area.
Typically, we treat sciatic pain by placing acupuncture needles along the inside of the lower calf or
ankle, hamstring, buttocks and along the wrist or forearm area. We take a two-pronged approach.
First, we target the lower back, to increase blood flow and muscle relaxation around the lumbar
vertebrae. Then, we target the sciatic nerve to influence muscle relaxation and blood flow regulation
along the pathway of the pain in the leg.
Chinese herbal medicine for sciatic pain
We custom formulate every herbal preparation for the patient’s specific condition and constitution.
As a group, these herbs function to alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, and regulate blood flow.
