Busting Sciatica Myths! Part 1

Busting Sciatica Myths! Part 1

This content was medically reviewed by Baher S. Yanni, MD, on December 1st, 2016.

Do you or someone you love suffer from sciatica?

The pain of this condition can be debilitating. At the Spine INA, we treat sciatica on a daily basis, and our dedication cutting-edge methods has empowered us to effectively provide relief. When we meet with sciatica clients, we often find that they’ve been told things that aren’t true about sciatica. Because of misinformation, people end up making bad decisions for their health. In our next few blogs, we are going to take some time to address common myths about sciatica and lay them to rest.

MYTH: Sciatica can’t be cured

We aren’t surprised that this has become such a powerful myth. Sciatica is a tricky condition, and it takes a very skilled doctor to pinpoint its cause. This means that many people end up frustrated with ineffective treatment after ineffective treatment and get convinced that there is no cure for their sciatica. However, sciatica is definitely a curable condition. The experts at the Spine Institute understand sciatica in all its complexity and have brought relief to many people.

MYTH: Sciatica is a disease

Sciatica is a collection of symptoms rather than a disease. It’s the manifestations of a disease, not the source. When you suffer from sciatica, the only way to cure it is to determine its underlying cause, or the disease making the nerves upset. That is where so many physicians have trouble; pinpointing the exact issue causing sciatica can be quite complex. The symptoms of sciatica are diverse enough themselves, including numbness, tingling, pain, pins and needles along the lower back, through the buttocks, and down the leg. Many people aren’t even sure it’s sciatica until the symptoms get more intense.

MYTH: Traction can get my slipped disc back into position and cure my sciatica

A lot of research has been done in this area, and unfortunately, it has been proven that traction is only effective at relieving muscle spasms, reducing pain, and creating warmth. It isn’t a dependable method for getting a slipped disc back into place. If you have a slipped disc, you’ll want to get help from a professional, who will be able to help you navigate the worlds of self-care, medications, therapies, injections, and surgery. Make sure you understand just what your options are and which ones will accommodate your unique needs.

If you or someone you love suffers from sciatica, you have a lot of options. Now that you know three truths about sciatica, you’ll hopefully be able to move forward with more confidence. Contact the Spine INA. We have made it our mission to understand the back and provide unparalleled solutions to all kinds of spinal complications. We can help you with pain management, steroid injections, minimally invasive spine surgery, and beyond. It’s our job to take the time to understand just what you’re suffering and provide tailor-made solutions. Because of our dedication, we can provide relief where other specialists cannot.

Let the team at the Spine INA show you just how possible relief is!