Sciatica (commonly misspelled as syatica) is an irritation of the sciatic nerve which is formed by nerves that arise in the low back. Most cases of sciatica are caused by herniations or bulges of one or more spinal discs. The spinal discs are soft tissue structures that separate the spinal bones (the vertebrae) and act as shock absorbers.

When a spinal disc is damaged through a single injury or multiple small injuries over time, the outer wall of the disc may not be able to contain the pressure from within and the disc bulges outward into the canals where the spinal nerves exit the spine. This places pressure on the nerves and creates pain, often in the form of sciatica, which begins in the buttock area and may extend down the leg towards the foot.

The treatment options for sciatica symptom relief vary depending on the case. Medication is usually the first line of treatment for sciatica symptom relief. Muscle relaxers may also be prescribed to reduce muscle spasm. Medication may be effective enough to provide relief short-term until inflammation subsides and/or the disc stabilizes. In more severe cases, oral medication may not be effective, and some patients may not be able to tolerate the common side effects of anti-inflammatory drugs and/or the diminished mental alertness seen with pain killers and muscle relaxers.

Steroid injections are often the next line of sciatica symptom relief treatment, and they are used to try to reduce inflammation around the discs and spinal nerves. While steroid injections often provide relief short-term, the long-term effects are less favorable. Due to the fact that the main effect of steroid injections is to reduce inflammation, once those effects wear off, inflammation and the resulting pressure on the nerves often builds up again, and symptoms return. Steroid injections also carry side-effects that include immune suppression, osteoporosis, and soft tissue damage, so their use must be limited to prevent causing other health problems.

Surgical treatment is often suggested for sciatica sufferers, and in a few cases it may be the only real option. Surgery has a poor track record (about a 50% success rate overall), and in some cases, symptoms may worsen following surgery. Surgery may be followed by various complications such as scar tissue development and abnormal mechanical stres on the spinal discs above and below the area of surgery, which often results in damage to additional discs over a period of time.

Fortunately, there is a new option in sciatica symptom relief that has a high success rate and a very low risk of side-effects. Spinal decompression is a new, advanced form of spinal traction that uses special computerized traction motors to gently and slowly apply a decompressive force to the spine, reducing pressure in the spinal discs. Spinal decompression systems can comfortably create negative pressure (suction) within the spinal discs that can pull disc bulges and herniations back in and away from sensitive nerve structures, as well as increase disc hydration and nutrition to help with disc healing. Unlike the old forms of spinal traction which could be painful due to the traction pull triggering muscle spasm, spinal decompression systems monitor and respond to the body to keep muscles relaxed so the treatment is comfortable and effective.

Preliminary studies have shown a success rate for spinal decompression of 80 to 90%, with the beneficial effects holding up well over the long-term. The one-year recurrence rate post-treatment is less than 5%. While spinal decompression is not appropriate for everyone with sciatica and is not effective in every case, it does represent a big improvement in sciatica treatment.