The sciatic nerve is located just below the spinal cord. If this nerve flares up and becomes irritated, it can cause an annoying and painful condition for the patient. The pain can run from the buttock area down to the thigh and foot areas and the pain can be excruciating. However, sciatic nerve surgery is not the only solution to treating this problem.
Here are 10 reasons why you should not consider sciatic nerve surgery right away:
1. Expensive – Surgeries are very costly.
2. Not guaranteed – Although surgery is considered to be safe, it is not a guarantee that the symptoms won’t recur.
3. Time off from school – If you are a student, going through surgery will require you to be absent from school and you will miss some lessons.
4. Time off from work – Surgery will also require some time off from work which means no income for a few weeks.
5. The need for painkillers – While recuperating from surgery, you will be advised to take some painkillers to relieve the pain. Some painkillers can be addictive.
6. Other side effects – Taking pain relievers are known to have harmful side effects including loss of appetite and sleeping problems.
7. There are natural alternatives – Why should you consider invasive surgery when there are natural methods of treating sciatic nerve pain? 80% to 90% of patients suffering from this disorder recover just by stretching and applying cold/hot packs on the lower back.
8. Not a medical emergency – This ailment is not life threatening.
9. Consider physical therapy – a rehabilitation program can help improve your condition naturally.
10. Acupuncture and chiropractic treatments – These are also known to alleviate symptoms of lower back pain caused by bad posture.
There are a lot of non-invasive and safe treatments to cure sciatic nerve pain. And as such, you really shouldn’t consider sciatic nerve surgery as your first option. Before starting any treatment, make sure to consult your physician to know which sciatica treatment is the best suited to your condition and to learn if surgery can be used to stop your sciatica.
