Whether you are new to the sciatica club, or a veteran, odds are you have thought about sciatic nerve surgery at some point.
But what are the risks? What is it like? Is it the best way to treat sciatic nerve pain?
Well before you make any decisions, here are some things you should know about sciatic surgery.
But what are the risks? What is it like? Is it the best way to treat sciatic nerve pain?
Well before you make any decisions, here are some things you should know about sciatic surgery.
Recovering From Sciatic Nerve Surgery
The procedures of your actual surgery will depend on the reason you have sciatica. But the basics of recovery is usually the same.
* Usually, surgery will be done under general anesthesia. Sometimes, local anesthesia is used, which is great by the way because it takes much less time to recover from and the side effects are minimal - plus you would be awake during surgery, how cool would that be?
* Pack a bag, because you will most likely require at least a few days in the hospital
* Even though you will probably be asked to start walking within 24 hours of surgery, most of your activities will be nixed for the next few weeks to several weeks
* Returning to work is your doctors call, but you may be out of commission for a few to several weeks.
* Some people have reported using digestive enzymes to help with inflammation and a speedy recovery. Talk to your doctor to see if this could be right for you.
* There is a chance that your recovery will be easier than this, how long it takes to recover really depends on what type of sciatic surgery was performed.
Helpful Tip: laser surgery is available for some types of sciatic surgery. if you can get this, recovery time is much faster and easier
* Usually, surgery will be done under general anesthesia. Sometimes, local anesthesia is used, which is great by the way because it takes much less time to recover from and the side effects are minimal - plus you would be awake during surgery, how cool would that be?
* Pack a bag, because you will most likely require at least a few days in the hospital
* Even though you will probably be asked to start walking within 24 hours of surgery, most of your activities will be nixed for the next few weeks to several weeks
* Returning to work is your doctors call, but you may be out of commission for a few to several weeks.
* Some people have reported using digestive enzymes to help with inflammation and a speedy recovery. Talk to your doctor to see if this could be right for you.
* There is a chance that your recovery will be easier than this, how long it takes to recover really depends on what type of sciatic surgery was performed.
Helpful Tip: laser surgery is available for some types of sciatic surgery. if you can get this, recovery time is much faster and easier
Facts about Sciatic Nerve Surgery
I admit, I am not a fan of surgery, (who is?), but only you know your pain. If you are wondering if surgery is the answer for you, here are some pros and cons about it, (just to be fun, pros are in green and cons are in red):
* In more than half of patients, pain will eventually return
* Pain can be gone for years or even decades before it returns
* It is not uncommon for patients to undergo further surgeries once their pain returns
* With surgery, you can be pain free instantly (well, except for healing from the surgery that is)
* There is a risk that you will suffer from 'Failed Sciatica Surgery' - (also known as failed back surgery) - meaning your pain could be worse than when you started
* The most common reason for 'Failed Sciatica Surgery' is a misdiagnosis of the cause of the sciatica (as mentioned before, what causes your sciatica tells the doctors what to do to in surgery to fix the sciatica). That is why you should get As Many Opinions As Possible.
Do Yourself a favor, don't consider surgery unless you have exhausted all other options and are still in pain.
* In more than half of patients, pain will eventually return
* Pain can be gone for years or even decades before it returns
* It is not uncommon for patients to undergo further surgeries once their pain returns
* With surgery, you can be pain free instantly (well, except for healing from the surgery that is)
* There is a risk that you will suffer from 'Failed Sciatica Surgery' - (also known as failed back surgery) - meaning your pain could be worse than when you started
* The most common reason for 'Failed Sciatica Surgery' is a misdiagnosis of the cause of the sciatica (as mentioned before, what causes your sciatica tells the doctors what to do to in surgery to fix the sciatica). That is why you should get As Many Opinions As Possible.
Do Yourself a favor, don't consider surgery unless you have exhausted all other options and are still in pain.
