Many do not understand if a nerve is pinched and gives in the leg, what to do. After suffering an injury or overloading the body with physical activity, acute pain while walking makes itself felt. This symptom indicates the appearance of neuralgia. That is, the sciatic nerve is pinched.
Pregnant women, the elderly, athletes and people whose professional activities are continuously associated with hard physical labor, and others suffer from such an ailment to a greater extent.
Special massage, medicines, exercises and physiotherapy are indicated to eliminate the manifestation of unpleasant symptoms.
Reasons
The sciatic nerve contains the largest accumulation of fibers. If it is pinched, a person feels pain, which significantly worsens the quality of life.
Only a specialist can make a diagnosis based on the analysis of diagnostics, since the disease does not have specific symptoms, and therefore such symptoms can be a manifestation of other diseases.
Factors affecting sciatic nerve injury:
- Acute osteochondrosis. Symptoms appear with any sudden movement, muscle spasms are felt.
- Sciatica. Worries people over 40 years old. It manifests itself in numbness of the limb and pulling pains.
- Physical fatigue. It occurs in people who work hard physically, also in athletes.
- Various injuries.
The degree of recovery will directly depend on the neglect of the disease.
Symptomatics
In order for a patient to understand that he has a pinched nerve, he should pay attention to the following symptoms:
- Pain in the extremities of the leg. The symptom is not constant, it is manifested by seizures. The pain can be localized both in a certain place and cover the entire thigh. The person becomes more painful when walking or any sudden movements.
- A paroxysmal pain in the back. Most often, a person feels discomfort in the thigh, where the nerve has suffered, in some cases the lower back also suffers. Soreness in the back is not felt as much as in the legs. Tingling, twitching may be felt.
- Dullness of sensitivity. The patient may feel numbness, burning, tingling, and many other alarming processes that are characteristic of neuralgia. They are localized in the place of the buttocks and thighs. There are times when the foot and lower leg are affected.
- Mistakes in movement. The person cannot move quickly, feels constant pain in the leg(s).
- Changes in gait. Feeling constant pain, a person tries to step on the injured leg as little as possible. Lameness is visible to the naked eye.
- Weakening muscles. Patients noticed a loss of strength, stiffness in movements. It is worth noting that even after recovery, the symptoms are felt for some time.
When a patient is injured and pinched a nerve in his left leg (or right), he has a direct road to traumatology. But, based on the name "neuralgia", it is easy to guess that a neurologist deals with diseases of this kind.
When a patient is injured or for other reasons feels the above symptoms, he should turn to a neurologist who will conduct the required studies and prescribe treatment in accordance with the severity of the identified pathology.
If it was not possible to identify the exact degree of the disease with the help of a neurologist, then they resort to the help of a radiologist.
Treatment
There are many different methods to eliminate the disease if the nerve in the right leg (or left) is pinched. Therefore, self-treatment is categorically not appropriate here; only a qualified specialist should be engaged in the selection of individual treatment.
It is allowed to take a painkiller before going to the clinic. Excellent help with neuralgic diseases non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The action of the drug is aimed at counteracting inflammatory processes, as a result of which pain decreases.
Medication contains ibuprofen. The use of drugs is allowed only for one week. Otherwise, they may cause adverse reactions.
DespiteThe fact that such medicines are highly effective in treatment, they also contain substances that are contraindicated for many patients. Among them are people suffering from problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, the medicine in the form of tablets is not suitable for them. Injection ampoules can be used instead.
Among these drugs is the well-known "Diclofenac". The result of its use is noticeable just a couple of days after the start of the injections.
Gels and ointments also help with pinched nerves. For example, "Fastum Gel" significantly reduces pain half an hour after application.
If medical treatment does not help when the nerve is pinched and the leg hurts, the doctor prescribes an operation to remove the cause of the discomfort. After surgery, a rehabilitation period (up to two months) follows, after which the patient will be able to restore motor activity, nothing will interfere with living a full life.
Additional treatment
Not understanding when the nerve in the leg was pinched, how to treat the pathology, in combination with doctor's prescriptions, bed rest should be observed, and for a more effective effect of the healing process, you can undergo a massage course (on the recommendation of a doctor) after the acute phase of the disease. It's about five to seven days. Ideally, you will attend at least ten sessions of therapeutic massage, and repeat the cycle after six months.
Massage has a beneficial effect on the muscles and significantly relieves musclespasms. The procedure improves blood circulation in the body and increases conductivity in damaged tissues.
Pool
Regular trips to the pool have a good restoring effect. As you know, swimming strengthens muscle mass and relieves stress at the same time. In order for the effect of swimming to be noticeable, you should visit the pool at least once a week.
Physical Education
Physical exercises for therapeutic purposes are also prescribed after the acute phase of the course of the disease. Physical education can be practiced at home and in the gym. However, the first time should be under the supervision of an instructor. Clothing should be chosen the most comfortable, which would not restrict movement. It is important to perform the exercises smoothly and slowly, as any sudden movement can provoke pain.
If the movements are performed properly, but the pain is still felt, the exercise should be stopped.
Each of the proposed exercises must be performed at least six times. However, if fatigue appears, the process should be interrupted and continued after restoration of strength. A common set of exercises is performed lying on your back. One leg is bent at the knee, and the other is raised at a right angle. Hands clasp the second leg behind at the level of the knee. These are the simplest exercises that relax the muscles and do not overload them.
Yoga will be a nice addition. It should be constantly supervised by a professional, and deal with iton its own is strongly discouraged.
Physiotherapy treatment
Many do not know when a nerve in the leg was pinched, what should I do? In practice, it has been proven that the following procedures give excellent results in case of pinching of the sciatic nerve: phonophoresis, magnetotherapy, applications in combination with paraffin, electrophoresis in combination with drugs, UHF therapy.
Physiotherapy is especially helpful for a pinched nerve in the leg. Thanks to this procedure, blood flow is normalized, pain gradually disappears, it properly warms up the affected tissues and reduces swelling.
Unfortunately, in some cases, no medicines help, and there are no indications for surgery. The doctor prescribes steroid hormones, which are undesirable, but in some cases they are indispensable. They should be taken for a short time. Even a very short time is enough for powerful components that relieve puffiness and neutralize inflammation.
Sometimes the problem lies in the spine. If clinical studies confirm this, it is possible to prescribe a special corset, the task of which is to reduce the load on the spine.
Pregnancy and pinched leg
During pregnancy, especially in the last stages, women become more and more limited in motor activity. If it pinches a nerve in the leg during pregnancy, this is a common occurrence.
Women in position should not use any injections or medications. Therefore, doctors strongly recommend that pregnant women have more rest, avoid stressfulsituations, lying mainly on hard surfaces. A medium firm mattress will come in handy.
Traditional medicine
In addition to traditional medicine, there are alternative treatments and they are very effective if you choose the right methods.
If a nerve in the leg is pinched, and it is not clear what to do, then ordinary potatoes help a lot with the disease. To prepare the medicine, you need to grate it, add a couple of drops of kerosene and apply evenly on the lower back, lubricated with vegetable oil.
A decoction of the combination of orange peel and lemon balm in equal proportions will also help. The components must be placed in a ladle with water and brought to a boil. The decoction is infused for ten minutes. After that, valerian is added. The decoction should be drunk three times a day.
If the localization of pinching is in the leg, then you can prepare an effective compress from the same potatoes and horseradish. The components in equal proportions must be crushed to a state of gruel and add a spoonful of honey there. Lubricate the lower back with vegetable oil, and apply a compress on it. You can fix it by wrapping it with gauze. Pain goes away after an hour.
Treatment with folk methods is effective. However, do not think that it can cure the body of pinching. Traditional medicine is a concomitant treatment, not the main one. Treatment with folk remedies, in combination with traditional medicine and experienced doctors, will help a person recover.
Prevention
Of course, preventing a disease is much he althier and cheaper than treating it later.
It is easiest to follow elementary recommendations that significantly reduce the risk of getting sick:
- exercise regularly;
- get about six to eight hours of sleep a day;
- take outdoor walks as often as possible;
- choose a mattress that is not too soft;
- wear comfortable shoes and don't "abuse" high platforms;
- to arrange a proper rest in case of physical overwork;
- dress for the season to avoid hypothermia.
It is worth understanding, even if the symptoms are not pronounced, you should definitely consult a doctor. It is known that seizures do not spoil life as much as constant pain, since they appear from time to time and you can temporarily forget about the existence of the disease until the next attack.
Nevertheless, the disease will not go away on its own, and negligence and carelessness will aggravate the situation.
Conclusion
It is important to seek medical help as soon as possible if you have characteristic symptoms. The sooner you catch the disease, the less trouble a person will have in the future with treatment, and the chances of a quick recovery without consequences will increase significantly.
It must be remembered that even folk remedies do not get rid of the problem forever, but only relieve pain. Only complex therapy is able to help the patient recover if the nerve in the leg is pinched.
