I have devoted my life to helping sciatica patients and anyone with chronic back pain. As a fellow patient with literally decades of suffering under my belt, I have real empathy and knowledge of the struggles you must endure every day, dealing with the misery that is lower back and leg pain.
This essay will help patients to realize that they are not alone. We will explore the various types of sciatica sufferers and how the pain affects their lives. I hope that this article inspires you to become more active both in your own care, as well as in our online community. After all, it is through all our efforts that medical treatment will either improve or continue to deteriorate to ever sadder levels of efficacy.
Types of Sciatica Patients
In my experience working with tens of thousands of patients every year, I have identified 3 general types of sciatica sufferers:
Type 1 patients are stricken with recurrent acute flare-ups of severe sciatica pain, but generally fully recover in between attacks. They do not have constant or chronic pain, but their acute episodes often put them on the path to developing a type 2 condition.
Type 2 patients also have acute flare-ups, but also endure lower intensity chronic sciatica virtually every day. After an acute attack settles, they are left with constant residual pain which might be mild or extreme. Some of these patients are completely disabled by their symptoms.
Type 3 patients are extremely acute and must enter into drastic treatment immediately. Most of these patients have suffered dramatic spinal trauma, such as cauda equina syndrome, and many undergo emergency sciatica surgery. This is the least common type of patient, but the type which certainly leaves a vivid impression in the mind.
Help for Sciatica Problems
Sciatica sufferers must not only endure the considerable misery of their physical pain, they must also be tormented by many of the following other factors:
Never finding relief despite a variety of attempted treatments.
Never getting a straight answer why the doctor can not cure their pain.
Not fully understanding the purpose of their sciatica treatments.
Never getting a proper education on why they have pain.
Enduring insult on top of injury, due to misdiagnosed sciatica.
Experiencing an escalation or perpetuation of symptoms, due to the nocebo effect.
These are all factors which haunted my own back pain struggle. I relied on my care providers to help me overcome my lower back pain and sciatic nerve pain, but I was greatly let down time and time again.
I did not know where to turn for help or objective information when I was suffering, so I wanted to provide that necessary advice to other patients who require assistance in the fight against sciatica. This is still the driving motivation of all the sites in The Cure Back Pain Network. We strive to be the objective voice of reason and research for patients who need the most help.
Dedication to Sciatica Patients
It really comes down to this: Despite having fully recovered from sciatica pain once before, and hoping to recover once again, I will always be a patient, even though I was fortunate enough to realize a lasting cure. I will always think like a patient and feel like a patient. I will always have sympathy and empathy for fellow patients, since I fully appreciate their struggle. Remember your struggle is my struggle, as well.
I want you to recover. I want you to join me in helping others. However, in order to do this, you must first help yourself.
Work to become pain-free and then help to educate the public about the real sciatica facts. If you have found this freedom, then please join the back pain crusade to raise awareness of the plight of suffering patients worldwide. If you are still working on a cure, I wish you the best and hope this website can help to be a part of the process.
