Sciatica
For anyone who has ever experienced Sciatica, they know that the pain can be debilitating. It can feel like a burning sensation, numbness and/or tingling down the side of the leg, in the buttocks, down the back or front of the thigh or in the groin which can last from a couple of days to a few months.
Sciatica is diagnosed in Western terms as nerve pain due to compression of the sciatic nerve usually in the lumbar region. It can also be caused by muscle compression on the nerve anywhere along the sciatic pathway.
The pathway of the sciatic nerve branches off from the lower spine and travels through the buttocks and down the back of the thighs to just above the knee, where the nerve splits into two branches which travel down the inside and outside of the lower leg to the feet.
Depending on the location of the discomfort, diagnosis in Chinese Medicine will slightly differ. For example when sciatic discomfort is felt down the side of the leg, this generally considered as blood stagnation of the Gallbladder Channel. When discomfort is felt in the groin area, this is generally considered as qi stagnation of the Liver Channel. This means that the treatment options will be slightly different.
In Chinese Medicine, acupuncture would be used to try to relieve pain symptoms associated with sciatica. Acupuncture is considered to move the stagnation and relieve the symptoms of sciatica by relaxing the muscles, which takes pressure off of the nerve. It attempts to increase blood flow to the area, which in turn increases oxygen to the muscles and nerves which is necessary to maintain healthy function.
If the sciatica is due to spinal compression, acupuncture may only offer some temporary relief and other medical treatments may be required for longer lasting relief.
Sciatica is diagnosed in Western terms as nerve pain due to compression of the sciatic nerve usually in the lumbar region. It can also be caused by muscle compression on the nerve anywhere along the sciatic pathway.
The pathway of the sciatic nerve branches off from the lower spine and travels through the buttocks and down the back of the thighs to just above the knee, where the nerve splits into two branches which travel down the inside and outside of the lower leg to the feet.
Depending on the location of the discomfort, diagnosis in Chinese Medicine will slightly differ. For example when sciatic discomfort is felt down the side of the leg, this generally considered as blood stagnation of the Gallbladder Channel. When discomfort is felt in the groin area, this is generally considered as qi stagnation of the Liver Channel. This means that the treatment options will be slightly different.
In Chinese Medicine, acupuncture would be used to try to relieve pain symptoms associated with sciatica. Acupuncture is considered to move the stagnation and relieve the symptoms of sciatica by relaxing the muscles, which takes pressure off of the nerve. It attempts to increase blood flow to the area, which in turn increases oxygen to the muscles and nerves which is necessary to maintain healthy function.
If the sciatica is due to spinal compression, acupuncture may only offer some temporary relief and other medical treatments may be required for longer lasting relief.