Sciatica Diagnosis - Sciatica Treatment

When you think that you have sciatica your doctor is going to be able to make your diagnosis based on a number of different things. These include: physical examination, medical history, and your symptoms. If you have only had it for a short period of time and there is no other signs of diseases then X-rays and lab studies could be needed.

If your pain last for many weeks then special studies might be needed of your back. These could be MRI's or CT scans. If there is history of HIV, steroid use, cancer, or IV drugs then your doctor might decide that an X-ray or a bone scan is necessary.

In some cases it might even be necessary for lab studies to be done. In a CBC test your doctor will be able to tell if you have anemia, infection, cancer, or other causes that might be unusual for sciatica. Sedimentation rate that is elevated might even be able to tell that there is inflammation going on in your body. If the doctor orders a urinalysis they can look for blood, infection, or kidney stones.

There are a number of different options that you have for sciatica treatment methods at home. Since pain from this will often limit your activity you will want to know what sciatica treatment methods will be best for you. Below are a few things you need to know:

• Make sure that you do not lift, sit in a chair that is low or soft, or bend because you pain is likely going to get worse.

• You can take pain medications that are OTC like: ibuprofen, aspirin, and acetaminophen which will help you with easing your pain.

• You can also use a cold pack and see if it helps you with your pain. If a cold pack is not available you can use frozen vegetables in a bad. You can also ask someone that you are close to, to help you by massaging you with an ice cube in a pattern that is triangular over your sore area. If the area begins to get too cold you should ask the person to move your ice.

• Once you have used the cold method you might want to use a heating pad. However, you need to be sure that you never go to sleep using one. If you don't have a heating pain you can use a towel that is wet with hot water and then wringed out.