This pathology is one of the most common, and its peculiarity lies in the fact that it is only one-sided. Most often, people aged 40 to 65 come to specialists with sciatic nerve neuropathy, and the disease occurs equally in both sexes. The patient has unilateral numbness of the foot and lower leg, paralysis of the fingers and foot may develop in that part of the body where the sciatic nerve was affected. Sciatic neuropathy in the ICD-10 is listed under the code G57.
Main reasons
The sciatic nerve can be affected by restriction (squeezing, irritation) of the intervertebral hernia, spasm of the piriformis muscle, gluteus maximus muscle.
The main factors of inflammation of the sciatic nerve can be hypothermia, diseasesspine injury, joint inflammation, diabetes mellitus, severe physiological overload, various infections.
What diseases cause pathology?
This pathology can be triggered by various serious and dangerous diseases, such as:
- tumor development processes;
- diabetes mellitus;
- too much drinking;
- herpes;
- AIDS.
In addition, traumatic neuropathy of the sciatic nerve can also develop after the appearance of cut or lacerations in the thighs, as well as due to a gunshot wound in the same part of the body. This pathology often appears with dislocations, fractures of the pelvic bones and other injuries in which the sciatic nerve is affected.
Medics also note that neuropathy of the sciatic nerve can develop against the background of any hereditary or acquired pathologies of the spine, such as, for example, a herniated disc or scoliosis. In addition, according to medical data, almost 54% of patients suffering from discogenic lumbar sciatica have such a disease.
Very rarely, sciatic nerve neuropathy develops after an incorrectly performed injection into the buttock area. This pathology is often observed with scarlet fever, tuberculosis at a certain stage, as well as with measles. It is possible to damage the sciatic nerve with chronic alcoholism, drug use, as well as with severe arsenic poisoning.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of this disease depend on the location and degree of damage to the leg, but almost all patients with sciatic neuropathy complain of loss of sensation in the affected area of the limb. There are other symptoms of sciatic neuropathy, and these include the following:
- leg may be slightly concave inward;
- inability to freely unbend or bend the toes;
- severe burning sensation in the calf muscles or in the toes;
- severe weakness in only one or both legs.
Pain as the main symptom
In addition, the patient may experience severe pain when trying to sit down. Such a symptom may be accompanied by a feeling of sudden change from cold to heat, which occurs in the lower region of the limbs. If the disease is at its last stage, then there is a complete atrophy of the muscles in that part of the limb where the neuropathy of the sciatic nerve occurred.
Other signs
There are other symptoms of this disease, such as a strong change in gait, patients are often forced to be in a position in which the lower limbs are bent at the hip joint. With neuropathy of the sciatic nerve, a feeling of heaviness may be felt in the lower part of the injured limb, which is often accompanied by viscous and dull pain.
It should be noted that the above pain sensations are aggravated by sneezing or coughing. If the sciatic nervewas affected in the thigh area, then the patient has problems with bending the knee, this also leads to a change in gait, since the patient has to walk with straightened legs. During an external examination by a doctor and during palpation of the attachment points of the muscles, the patient may feel severe pain, moreover, pain can also pass to that part of the buttocks where the sciatic nerve exits from under the piriformis muscle.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of the disease is most often done at the time of a neurological examination by a specialist of the patient. The neurologist most carefully studies how the disease manifests itself in terms of pain, examines the firewood of hypesthesia, checks the weight and compares it with what it was before and looks at the person's reflexes. Thanks to a detailed study of these indicators, it is possible to establish how exactly the disease affected the body. Confirmation of the conclusions made by the doctor is carried out using electromyography and electroneurography, thanks to which it becomes possible to distinguish sciatic mononeuropathy from lumbar plexopathy and some radiculopathies.
At present, to examine the nerve trunk and possible formations, in terms of anatomy, ultrasound therapy is used, thanks to which it is possible to determine whether there are any tumors on the nerves, whether it is compressed or whether there are any other changes. In addition, it is possible to determine the genesis of neuropathy with the help of an x-ray of the spine, sometimes you can do magnetic resonance therapy, an x-ray of the pelvic region oralso conduct ultrasound of these areas, in addition, you can take tests to determine the level of sugar in the blood.
Treatment
Elimination of pain centers that occur with sciatic nerve neuropathy requires hard work to eliminate this disease. To block the pain syndrome, as well as relieve inflammation in the nerves, and for your own prevention, you will need to conduct a small course of treatment for sciatic nerve neuropathy. First you need to consult and see a doctor. Usually, in case of injuries and wounds, plastic surgery of bone fragments and immobilization are performed. Need a course of exercise therapy and massage treatments.
Exercise
At home, therapeutic exercises are very useful for improving your he alth, as well as relieving inflammation in the nerves. Exercises recommended by doctors:
- You need to relax and then begin to twist your shoulders to warm up the muscles.
- You need to lie on your back, bend your knees and put your feet on the floor, cross your arms over your chest. When inhaling, be sure to raise the body so that the shoulders come off the floor. When exhaling, return to the starting position. About 10-15 times you need to repeat this exercise.
- Get on all fours and start arching and arching your back. This exercise is very good for your general condition.
- If you are in pain, there is the simplest exercise that will not make you uncomfortable. Sit on a chair, straighten your back, cross your legs, and then raise your hands behind your head and begin to turn to the side. It is necessary to make 5-10 turns in each direction. Take your time, warm up with diligence, but to the best of your ability.
These are basic exercises, but you can also use exercises to stretch the muscles, which eliminate painful spasms and relax the body. Pay attention to the clothes you wear! It should not hinder your movements, and also interfere with free blood circulation.
Massage, which is aimed at improving blood circulation, helps well. Cupping massage helps a lot. The duration of this procedure should not exceed 15 minutes. From folk recipes, a decoction of calendula, rosehip, parsley is very effective. You can rub into a sore spot a mixture of radish juice and honey, taken in a ratio of one to one. It is necessary to include sauerkraut in the diet, as it contains useful vitamins that help speed up the metabolic process. If you have been diagnosed with this disease, you need to start treatment right now. Exercise, eat right and live he althy.
