Sciatica Surgery : Top 5 questions to consider before opting
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is a term for symptoms that arise from the sciatic nerve. Many people get sciatic nerve pain without knowing where that pain is coming from. And in every case, a nerve is being pinched somewhere along the line. Sciatica Surgery is the term given to this pain.
People generally confuse it with back pain. The sciatic nerve ranges from the sacral part of the spinal cord, pelvis, and down to the foot where it branches. It is the largest nerve in the human body.
Sciatica is more of a symptom of another issue involving the sciatic nerve. Sciatica nerve pain stems from the irritation or inflammation of the sciatic nerve. Experts say that around 40% of people will experience Sciatica at least once.
Firstly one needs to identify what’s causing the Sciatica. Lumbar Stenosis, aka Degenerative disc disease or arthritis, can cause Sciatica.
A herniated disc is an important factor that can cause Sciatica. Going by the statistics, Sciatica can relieved 85% of the time with conservative care within six months.
It includes physical therapy. The rest, 15% of the time, is when it is appropriate to have surgery, depending on the symptoms and severity.
2. Surgery success rates and how much time does it take?
Red flag symptoms are present when the sciatic nerve is compressed to an extreme level. These include changes in your bowel or bladder function and weakness down a leg, causing a foot slap. When these red flags are present, it is more likely to consider surgery.
But in cases of numbness, weakness, or pain, non-surgical alternatives are better. Surgery for Sciatica is only 50 percent successful after two years. High risks and not very good outcomes put a huge question mark at the end. 1 in 1000 people die from lumbar surgery.
While sitting, standing, walking, or running, what type and where exactly do you feel the pain. Is the pain locally in the lower back, or is it spreading down your buttocks to your leg? Is it just an ordinary pain that subsides with time? Or is it continually worsening and affecting your daily activities? So your life negatively affected by the pain. And further, if no other alternatives have helped, surgery may considered.
5. Do you have the contact of an experienced surgeon or a top-graded hospital? Can you afford it?
Experienced surgeons are better and would have encountered several types of spinal conditions. They will also have good knowledge of the modifications of different procedures that may be necessary in some cases.
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