So many patients write and detail their symptoms before asking how to treat sciatica. While I appreciate them taking the time to send in their symptomatic profiles, there is far more information which must be considered before answering their seemingly simple questions. The reason being that sciatica is a very case-specific health issue, with a vast number of possible causes and contributors which may all produce similar or identical symptoms.
It is for this reason that I prepared this article to give patients something to think about before writing to us or asking their doctors for treatment recommendations.
Treating Sciatic Nerve Pain Considerations
When considering choosing the best sciatica treatment, one must focus on the actual cause. This means that a prospective cause must be first identified and then must be proven to be a sound diagnostic theory in order for therapy to stand any hope for success.
While this sounds easy, but actually, this is the most difficult and potentially catastrophic part of the entire treatment process. This is because there are so many possible sciatica causes and contributors, both anatomical and non-structural, and many of these conditions are unfortunately universal or near universal parts of the spinal aging process. This fact makes many conditions causative in rare cases, contributors in some cases and coincidental in a great number of case profiles.
Confusing? You bet.
How to Treat Sciatica Evidence
Once a definitive diagnosis can be achieved, then treatment should be successful. Sciatica statistics clearly show that when a structural issue is directly responsible for the pain, appropriate treatment usually resolves the condition completely or nearly completely. However, statistics also demonstrate that the overwhelming majority of sufferers never find complete or enduring sciatica relief. So, what can one determine from these statistics? That’s easy:
Misdiagnosis is rampant and most patients who attempt multiple forms of treatment without success are likely to be incorrectly diagnosed. After all, this makes much more sense than saying that a dozen different treatment options all failed for the same diagnosed condition. So, I guess you can see my advice in advance here. Just in case not, I will spell it out for you:
If treatment fails time and time again, do not blame the therapy or provider. Blame the diagnosis.
How to Treat Sciatica Answers
Sciatica is not inherently stubborn to cure. Statistics will have you believing that, but they are misleading. Sciatica can often be easily cured when the diagnosis is 100% correct and indicated treatment is applied to the source.
Sensible? Sure.
Getting this to occur in today’s ridiculously structurally-obsessed, compartmentalized and profit-driven care sector is another story. Patients have to be proactive and knowledgeable or they will become victims:
Victims of ignorance.
Victims of greedy care providers.
Victims of unnecessary surgeries.
Victims of never-ending pain.
Do you want to be a victim or do you want to empower yourself to get on the right path towards successful treatment? Think carefully before answering, since choosing active involvement takes some effort and diligent research. However, if it leads to a cure, then it is all worthwhile many times over.
