In the United States when pain is experienced a lot of people quickly turn to sciatica surgery as a solution, even when it is not the best option. A sciatica massage and other treatment options that will do an excellent job for less money and recovery time. The tricky part is knowing the when to use these options and how to figure out the type of sciatica issues that you are dealing with. There are two common causes of sciatic pain.
Causes of Sciatica Pain Leading to Sciatica Surgery
Before we can know whether sciatica surgery is needed or whether a more cost-effective sciatica massage can work, we must understand the causes.
Piriformis Syndrome Causing Sciatica Pain
Piriformis tightness or inflammation can cause sciatica to be entrapped and also become bothered. When sciatica begins having issues the piriformis is the last place that most people would think to check. The piriformis will rub against the sciatic nerve causing a painful burning sensation to go down one’s entire leg. Surgery is not the solution when the piriformis is the culprit.
Herniated Disc Causing Sciatica Pain and Need for Sciatica Massage
The herniated disc is when the soft center of a spinal disk pushes through a crack of the tough exterior becoming out of place. When that disk is out of place at the original spot of the sciatic nerve, it can cause huge problems and irritate the nerve.
Other Potential Causes of Sciatic Nerve Issues
- Lumbar Stenosis
- Spondylolisthesis
- Muscle Spasms
- Pregnancy
Symptoms of Sciatic Nerve Pain
- Low back pain
- Hip Pain
- Shooting sensation down leg that is the worst when sitting
- Constant pain in the butt (no pun intended)
Sciatica Surgery
The sciatica surgery is only needed when you have a severely herniated disc that is also causing sciatic nerve issues. Outside of that, your first goal should be to deal with the injury without surgery. It is not that you need to be against surgery, but it should always be considered a last resort. If you explore many other healthcare opportunities
Sciatica Surgery is called a microdiscectomy. In this surgery, the portion of the herniated disc that is pinching the nerve is removed. Surgery is usually considered after 4 to 6 weeks of patient discomfort.
Sciatica Massage and Treatment
When the pain is not from piriformis syndrome, your best bet is a sciatica massage. This treatment means working on the piriformis muscle to loosen the tight muscle and reduce inflammation. The tricky thing about the piriformis though is that it only exposes itself for palpation when you externally rotate your hip.
Types of Therapists That Can Give Sciatica Massage and Treatment
Types of Skill Sets Providers Should Have to Help Avoid Sciatica Surgery
- Dry Needling
- Graston Technique
- Active Release Technique (ART)
- Fascial Stretching
- and many more
What is The Best Option?
The best thing you can do is get in front of a healthcare provider. The reason is that they can figure out exactly what is going on. If the first provider you see says you need surgery, get a second or third opinion from some different types of healthcare providers. The worst thing you can do is damage your body with surgery. You cannot reverse the damage that is done with surgery.
The best providers will want to take a holistic approach to heal the injury. What that means is that they will not just look to heal the physical. They will want to heal all aspects of health which include:
- Mental Health
- Physical Health
- Spiritual Health
- Emotional Health
- Social Health
How to Find the Best Providers
9INE POINT Health is the place that you start this journey. 9INE POINT Health is the only tool that lets you search for sports medicine providers based on a type of therapist as well as the skill so you can find the best local options for what you need. If you are not sure what you are looking for, the 9INE POINT Health mobile app will ask you a series of questions to help you figure out the best health care provider that you should see. Even if you are not an athlete, sports medicine providers are going to do the best job dealing with a sciatic nerve issue.
When you are deciding between the best options, you can always look to the 9INE POINT Number. The 9INE POINT Number is the easiest way to compare health care providers. It takes the key metrics that you need to know and combines them to create a number out of 100 that you can use to decide if you want to dig in deeper. Those three metrics include:
- Ratings and Reviews
- Engagement within 9INE POINT Health
- Endorsements from Other Providers
What If You Can’t Recover From a Sciatica Injury
Sometimes you can ice all you want, but a muscle is in pain because another area is not working or because it is protecting you. With the hips, for example, your back may be hurting because your psoas is doing too much work and it is also tight. The psoas may be doing too much work because your other hip flexors are not activating correctly. The chain reaction could keep going if you don’t decide on Sciatica Surgery vs Sciatica Massage quickly.
Sometimes you need the help of a sports medicine provider. Sports medicine providers are used to working with athletes that need to get results quickly, to get back on the field. If you are not an athlete, I am sure that you still want quick results.
There are many different options you can go with when looking for a provider. You could get a chiropractor, massage therapist, physical therapist or many other options. The key is finding someone you trust and that you are excited to work with.
Skills to Look for in a Healthcare Provider for Sciatica Surgery vs Sciatica Massage:
- Active Release Technique
- Graston Technique
- Acupuncture
- Massage
- Fascial Stretch Therapy
- Corrective exercises
- Dry Needling
- Sports Background
- Functional Movement Screen
- And more
KHO Health was acquired by was acquire by 9INE POINT in the summer of 2019 and is now referred to as 9INE POINT Health.
9INE POINT Health was created by 9INE POINT in '19 as a means to provide athlete-driven resources to "Protect Athletes' Minds, Body and Belly". As well as be a platform for healthcare providers and other specialists to display their knowledge.