Piriformative Essay: Back Pain Therapy

Topic: Piriformis Block for Sciatic Pain
Keyword: Back Pain Therapy

What is the Sciatic Nerve?
The sciatic nerve is the most massive single nerve in the body that bridges the spine and the lower extremities. It is fed by a total of five nerves originating from the spinal cord, transcending the length of the lower spine to the buttocks, branching out, and continuing to the foot. It innervates the skin and muscles of the lower limbs via the tibial and peroneal nerves. It also provides strength to the legs and is responsible for the reflexes there.
What is Sciatic Pain?
Sciatic pain, also called sciatica, is the pain affiliated with the sciatic nerve. It is brought about by different reasons, but is mostly due to the swelling of the sciatic nerve, or the nerves leading to and from it. The symptom involves pain emanating from the lower back, sometimes including the legs up to the foot. It may be felt as a stabbing pain, numbness, or as a tingling sensation, and is usually worsened with certain movements and prolonged sitting. Sciatic pain may also be accompanied by weakness of the lower limbs, and a significant reduction in reflexes.
What are the causes of Sciatic Pain?
Sciatic pain is mostly a symptom of sometimes more serious underlying conditions, so physician advice for individualized diagnosis and treatment is
The doctors then sometimes use superficial and deep local anesthesia to desensitize the area to be punctured. Then the doctor may insert a needle probe which is withdrawn and visualized fluoroscopically. Alternately, the insertion may be guided by ultrasound so as to precisely locate the piriformis muscle, and upon confirming the correct positioning, the agents are injected. Patients are then monitored for the effect of medicine, and may be further recommended for physical therapy or