Sciatica
Causes, Symptoms and Help and User Experiences Spruce products that have sciatica
Sciatica is a common name for pain in the leg caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve (nervus ischiadicus). Sciatica is not a disease but a symptom that indicates a problem in the lower spine. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. It originates from the root in the lumbar and sacral part of the spinal cord and runs across the buttocks along the entire lower limb. Irritation occurs due to narrowing of the intervertebral space (intervertebral foramen) through which the root of the sciatic nerve emerges from the spinal cord.
I have been using spruce products since you started making them in 1990. I use them for everything I can. Colds, burns, cuts, sinusitis - I apply to the nostrils and forehead. I also use it for occasional problems with hemorrhoids. I currently use a thorn in the heel for low back and leg pain - sciatica and a sore heel. I already feel an improvement. (68)
SONJA, MAKOLE
Electrical installations and sciatica
It is easiest to imagine the brain with the spinal cord as a source of electricity , and the nerve that comes out of the spinal cord as a cable that powers a device (in our case, it is the leg muscles). Let’s say a device needs a certain electric current to operate. The narrowed intervertebral space is a resistor that we mounted on the wire. Because the resistor reduces the electric current the device will not work properly, right?
It’s the same with muscles. Because the sciatic nerve is trapped at the exit of one of the roots from the spinal cord, the leg muscles do not receive the right nerve impulses, causing inflammation along the nerve and pain in the leg muscles that the nerve resuscitates - sciatica.
Did you know that
Is the sciatic nerve in its thickest place as thick as an adult's thumb ?
That the sciatic nerve is actually made up of five nerves ? The fourth and fifth lumbar nerves and the first three sacral nerves merge into one large sciatic nerve.
That your legs without a sciatic nerve would be two useless spaghetti ?
No wonder your sciatica gets on your nerves,
Signs of sciatica
SUSTAINABLE SELECTION OF NATURAL INGREDIENTS
We are extremely grateful for spruce resin, which is a great gift from nature, so we also select the ingredients with extraordinary sensitivity and respect for nature. We collect spruce resin in a way that does not cause damage to the trees. Also, all other ingredients are selected with consideration for sustainability aspect and. of course, select only purely natural ingredients.
SUSTAINABLE SELECTION OF NATURAL INGREDIENTS
We are extremely grateful for spruce resin, which is a great gift from nature, so we also select the ingredients with extraordinary sensitivity and respect for nature. We collect spruce resin in a way that does not cause damage to the trees. Also, all other ingredients are selected with consideration for sustainability aspect and. of course, select only purely natural ingredients.
HAND MADE
All production processes take place with great care and precision. We add a piece of ourselves into each product. The production takes into account high standards of hygiene and safety. Eighty-five per cent of waste from our production goes into a recycling process and bio-waste, The remaining is only 15 per cent and is placed in a mixed waste container.
CHARITY
Every individual can find himself in a difficult social situation at any moment. If you are in such a situation, contact us and we will ensure that you will receive Smrekovit spruce resin products for free. We also maintain low prices on our products, because we want to enable access to the efficiency of spruce resin for all people.
The most common causes of sciatica
An intervertebral disc herniation is 90% the cause of sciatica. The spine consists of:
Vertebrae (individual bones in the spine that protect the spinal cord and nerves)
Spinal cord and nerves
Intervertebral discs
The intervertebral discs, which are made of cartilage, act as pads that dampen vibrations in the intervertebral spaces and allow for flexibility of the spine. The intervertebral disc consists of a harder outer part (anulus) and a gel filling (nucleus) .
Since our spine is heavily loaded and carries the weight of our daily lives for decades, it is quite understandable that on the most stressed, lower part of the spine (most often between the last two lumbar or first two sacral vertebrae) the intervertebral disc begins to collapse and degeneration occurs . Many times its harder, the outer part loosens, the gel penetrates from the inside of the disc, the intervertebral space shrinks and eventually there is pressure on the nerve root , which manifests as sciatica. This does not happen all at once, but can take years from initial disc degeneration through a hernia to the development of signs of sciatica.
Much less often , sciatica can occur due to:
Lumbar spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal
Spondylolisthesis (sliding of the vertebrae in the forward direction)
Tumors on the spine
Other reasons such as spinal injuries, infections and the like
Risk factors for sciatica
Age and related degenerative changes in the spine, such as intervertebral disc herniation, are the most common cause of sciatica.
Being overweight puts a strain on the spine, which can lead to degenerative changes that manifest as sciatica
Occupational burdens such as office work and prolonged driving of vehicles that require a forced posture in a sitting position or lifting heavy shifts can also contribute to the development of sciatica.
Smoking can cause a lack of certain substances in the cartilage of the intervertebral disc and its fragility
Why is it worse while lying down and how to help yourself?
People who have sciatica often complain of sharp pain in the leg, which is stronger in some positions . One such position is lying down. Often, this makes sciatica make it difficult for people to sleep or causes a person to wake up in the middle of the night with a stinging pain in their leg.
Sciatica occurs when the root of the sciatic nerve in the lumbar or sacral spine is trapped, irritated, or inflamed.
LYING ON THE BELLY
When you lie on your stomach, the spine bends in an unnatural way, so the intervertebral spaces narrow, causing nerve root entrapment and severe pain caused by sciatica. Lying on your stomach in people suffering from sciatica is not recommended .
LYING ON THE SIDE
Lying on your side can highlight sciatica for two reasons:
Direct pressure on the nerve root by lying on the side of the affected leg
Curvature of the spine due to hip tilt: People who sleep on their side usually hang their upper leg over their lower leg so that their upper leg rests on the mattress. This causes the hip to bulge toward the ceiling, causing the spine to bend, the intervertebral spaces to shrink, and the pinched nerve root to manifest as sciatica.
HOW DO YOU HELP?
For most people, lying on an unaffected leg is more appropriate, for others it may be the other way around. However, it is recommended that you place a pillow between your legs so that your hips are aligned.
LYING ON THE BACK
When lying on your back, the natural curvature of the lumbar spine (lumbar lordosis) is more pronounced than when sitting or leaning back. If the vertebrae are in such a position, the openings between the vertebrae (intervertebral foramen) through which the roots of the nerves, including the root of the sciatic nerve, exit from the spinal cord are reduced. If an intervertebral disc herniation is also present, these spaces are reduced to such an extent that nerve root entrapment (lumbar spinal stenosis) and nerve irritation occur, causing pain characteristic of sciatica in the leg.
HOW DO YOU HELP?
If the legs are slightly raised while lying on your back, the pressure on the lower spine decreases and the intervertebral foramina increase. This reduces the pressure on the nerve root and the sciatica is less pronounced. Try sleeping with a pillow under your knees .
Self-stretching exercise
If your mobility allows, sit in a Turkish seat and lower your body very slowly forward towards the ground. When it is no longer going, hold the achieved position for a few moments, then try to lower yourself again. Repeat this as long as your mobility allows. When you persist in the achieved position for some time, straighten up very slowly .
If you can't sit in a Turkish seat, sit on a chair and very slowly lower your body between your thighs towards the floor . When it’s gone, hold the position for a few moments and try to continue. Repeat this as long as your mobility allows. Hold in the last position for a few moments, then straighten up very slowly .
With this exercise, you stretch the spine in the lumbar and lumbar region. The intervertebral spaces increase slightly and the pressure on the nerve decreases .
Our experience
Ivo Konc had unbearable low back pain and sciatica since the age of 10, when he overcame tick-borne meningitis. The problems then only escalated and were so severe that at the end of his studies at the Faculty of Sports he was exempted from performing the practical part of the exams, and in 1974 also from performing military service in the then YPA. At the time, a specialist doctor referred him for surgery as the only option to avoid disability before the age of thirty. He refused surgery and began looking for natural treatments. In this way he came to Mrs. Prežla in Lesce, who gave him resin compresses, with which he effectively dealt with back pain.
When he dislocated a finger on his hand in 1989, the black and sticky lining of Mrs. Prežle was not suitable for treatment and so he made the first Spruce ointment . He could not help himself to the dislocation with his invention, but it was effective for many other problems. In two years, spruce ointment spread throughout Yugoslavia, through neighbors, friends and acquaintances who enthusiastically talked about its effectiveness. In 1990, he opened a craft.
Shortly after 1990, when he started making Spruce Classic (spruce ointment) , developed his own Spruce manipulative therapy , with which he soon had great success in repairing sports injuries with a lot of feeling and with the help of Spruce products. People then went to him en masse and many, with the help of his procedure and spruce products, practically recovered "overnight" from the problems they had been suffering from for years (sciatica, low back pain, neck pain, pain in the hands and legs and headaches as a result of spinal problems, etc.) In 2011 he stopped therapies or. he performs them purely as an amateur. His manipulative therapy is successfully continued by Roman Perko, a former junior world champion in Nordic combined and son of Matic Konc .
The method is purely mechanical and is based on stretching, mechanically adjusting those moving parts of the skeleton that, by pressing on a nerve, cause problems along a nerve that is compressed. Usually, these problems involve slight movements of the vertebrae, which then depending on the location of the movements, they cause pain either locally in the spine, but if the trapped nerve animates a large number of muscles, often outside the spine, which manifests as pain in the legs, spreading from the buttocks to the thighs and down to the toes (sciatica). ), pain in the hands, impaired strength of the hands, tingling in the hands or feet, headaches, etc. These subluxations (slight movements of the joints) can also occur in other joints, most commonly in the shoulder, and can also cause problems along the entire limb. Mechanical adjustment of such movements with spruce manipulative therapy has proven to be an excellent aid in the use of spruce products .
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The questions you often ask us and we are always happy to answer. 😊
What is sciatica?
Sciatica is not a disease but a symptom. It is a pain that spreads across the buttocks and hip to the leg muscles, which are resuscitated by the Nervus Ischiadicus nerve. The root of this nerve is irritated at the exit of the spinal cord due to the pressure of the intervertebral disc on the nerve, most commonly between the fourth and fifth lumbar or first and second sacral vertebrae. The most common cause (90%) of pressure is a herniated intervertebral disc. The pain then spreads along the nerve like electricity down the leg down to the toes and this pain is called sciatica.
What to do when sciatica grabs us and how to help ourselves?
Problems with sciatica need to be addressed at the source - in the lumbar spine. A simple self-help exercise is to slowly lean forward in a chair in a sitting position or on the floor in a Turkish saddle. All movements should be slow. We recommend that you apply Spruce 365 spruce cream to the Spruce coating and apply it to the lumbar spine with the oiled side. If at all possible, keep the dressing on day and night and apply it in the morning and evening. The pain in the spine usually increases initially and begins to subside on the fourth or fifth day. Lubricate your foot with Spruce 365 Spruce Cream or Spruce 365 Spruce Cooling Cream where it hurts, as the pain will move down the limb and only go away in a few weeks. As long as the pain in your leg persists, keep a lining on your lumbar spine, even if your spine will no longer hurt.
How long does sciatica last?
Sciatica can be a long-term ailment without help. With proper use of Spruce products, the pain in the spine usually increases for a few days, then begins to decrease and disappears within 7 - 10 days. The pain in the leg, however, moves down the leg to the toes for several more weeks and only then disappears.
Why do you recommend Spruce Wrapping?
First of all, it should be noted that Spruce coating is not recommended in combination with Spruce Extra products. The use of Spruce coating is strongly recommended when using Smrekovit 365 spruce cream and Smrekovit Klasik spruce ointment. The price of spruce linings is intentionally low because it only serves as an aid to spruce products. The use of spruce wraps greatly increases the performance of the products because it acts as a reservoir for the cream or ointment so that the active ingredients from the spruce resin can be continuously absorbed into the tissue as much as it can absorb. In places where the Spruce dressing can be easily attached and stays in place, we recommend using the wrap all the time and homework once a day (lubricate the wrap). On more flexible joints, where the lining likes to curl and move, use it at least overnight, and lubricate this part several times during the day.
Why do you discourage the use of ice or some other method of cooling?
First, let’s ask ourselves what does ice cause? Cooling slows down the physiological process caused by tissue damage or inflammation. At the site of inflammation or injury, the permeability of the vascular walls increases in order for the body to allow inflammatory cells (leukocytes and lymphocytes) and inflammatory proteins to pass to the site of inflammation. The purpose of this process is to confront the defense mechanism with inflammation in order for the organism to eliminate it on its own. The visible consequence of this process is swelling, which is a completely normal phenomenon, as every cell and protein that passes to the site of inflammation is surrounded by a mantle of water and because inflammatory proteins penetrate the site of inflammation and cells pass water with them.
By cooling, the patency of the vascular walls is reduced again, so the swelling is also reduced, but consequently the treatment time is significantly extended.
Spruce resin causes the opposite and stimulates the body's defense mechanism and consequently significantly reduces the treatment time. It is clear, then, that refrigeration and the use of spruce resin products are contradictory.
You can also read more about this topic in an article on our blog: Led Vs. resin or even a donkey should not go on the ice even once
