Laser Therapy for Sciatica and Piriformis Syndrome Pain Relief

Sciatica By George S. Pellegrino, LMT, CMTPT, RMTI and Victoria L. Magown, CMTPT, LMT, RMTI MyoRehab The term “sciatica” has been around for a long time. In fact, it was first used in the year 1450 when it appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary. Today, it is ommonly used to describe low back and buttock pain often accompanied by pain radiating down the thigh. About 40% of the population will experience sciatica at some time during their lives. Sciatica and other low back pain symptoms disable 5.4 million Americans a year. It has cost America at least $16 billion a year in lost productivity, and patients more than $16 million in out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures. Sciatica and Piriformis Syndrome are often accompanied by numbness and other sensory disturbances in the area involved with the sciatic nerve. This is because both conditions produce pressure on part or all of the nerve. Another source of these same symptoms can be the result of Myofascial Trigger Points (MTrPs) in a muscle that has little to do with the sciatic nerve or its nerve roots. Gluteus minimus MTrPs will produce pain in the hip, buttock, and thigh all the way to the ankle (Illustration B). When this occurs, it is appropriately referred to as “Pseudo-sciatica.” At MyoRehab, the results of an in-depth evaluation combined with medical findings are employed to identify the underlying causes of these often confounding symptoms. This insures the application of the most effective, non-surgical, drug free treatment protocol. Because the treatment protocols used at MyoRehab are specific, in the case of True Sciatica, therapists certified by the American Society of Laser Therapy in the use of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) treat the cause, not the symptoms. The MicroLight ML830 “cold laser” is one of the most powerful among the tools applied. The 830 nanometer wavelength of the MicroLight laser has the deepest reach (5 cm) into the body of any “cold laser” and is FDA approved (Illustration C). Click Here to Read the Full Article and studies on Laser Therapy for Sciatica