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  • What Is Sciatica, Exactly? MDs Explain the Common Nerve Pain – POPSUGAR Australia

    What Is Sciatica, Exactly? MDs Explain the Common Nerve Pain – POPSUGAR Australia

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    This informational guide, part of PS’s Condition Center, lays out the realities of this health concern: what it is, what it can look like, and strategies that medical experts say are proven to help. You should always consult your doctor regarding matters pertaining to your health and before starting any course of medical treatment.

    Sciatica is a type of pain that travels along the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back, through your hips and butt, and down each leg, according to Mayo Clinic. It can cause quite a bit of discomfort in the body. Some describe the sensation as a “shooting” or “radiating” type of pain, Serena Hu, MD, spine surgeon and professor of orthopedic surgery at Stanford, tells PS.

    Unfortunately, sciatica is a common occurrence for many, with about 40 percent of people experiencing the pain at some point in their life. Celebrities like Adele have been open about their experiences with the potentially debilitating sensation.

    Luckily, there are certain treatment options that can help ease sciatica pain, and knowing how to spot the signs and symptoms could help healthcare providers point you in the right direction sooner rather than later. Ahead, find everything there is to know about sciatica, including how long sciatica lasts, what causes sciatica, how to find relief from sciatica, and the best sciatica exercises.

    Experts Featured in This Article:

    Serena Hu, MD, is a spine surgeon and professor of orthopedic surgery at Stanford.

    Rahul Shah, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic spine and neck surgeon at Premier Orthopaedic Spine Associates.

    What Is Sciatica?

    Sciatica isn’t a condition itself; it’s actually a symptom of other medical problems. It occurs when the sciatic nerve is experiencing pressure or has been damaged. “The sciatic nerve itself, it’s a combination of nerves that run from the back of the spine all the way down the back of the leg and into the calf area, and so sciatica is irritation around any distribution along that path that that nerve takes,” explains Rahul Shah, MD, board-certified orthopedic spine and neck surgeon at Premier Orthopaedic Spine Associates.

    Dr. Shah compares the sciatic nerve to a highway with tons of traffic flowing. “If the traffic gets backed up or jammed up, then it’s going to hurt in that area,” he explains.

    Symptoms of Sciatica

    The most common symptoms of sciatica, per Johns Hopkins Medicine and Cleveland Clinic, include the following:

    • Lower-back pain that radiates or spreads down your butt and the back of one thigh
    • Pain that extends from your butt down to your foot
    • Numbness in the lower half of your body
    • Muscle weakness in your legs and feet

    Most cases of sciatica can be cleared up with treatment in a few weeks. However, some people who have severe sciatica, which can include serious leg weakness or bowel and bladder changes, may have to undergo surgery, according to Mayo Clinic.

    What Causes Sciatica?

    “Sciatica is irritation of the sciatic nerve, and it can come about from a variety of reasons,” Dr. Shah says. A few common medical conditions experts tend to cite include:

    • Prolonged sitting: “When you sit, your body weight puts increased pressure on your sciatic nerve below your hips. The longer you sit, the more pressure that’s put on your nerves and the vertebrae in your lower spine,” according to the Spinal Stenosis & Disc Center, Inc.
    • Physical trauma: This could be anything from a car accident to a sports injury that has impacted or compressed the sciatic nerves, per Align Wellness Center.
    • A herniated disc: This is the most common cause of sciatica, Dr. Hu says. “We all have different vertebra in our spine. They’re sort of stacked on each other, and between all the vertebra are intervertebral discs, and the discs are the cushioning part of the spine,” she explains. When one of those discs tears or leaks, it’s called a herniated disc, and when this happens to the vertebrae, it can put pressure on the sciatic nerve. Risk factors for herniated discs include aging, sitting too long in the same position, and lifting heavy objects, among other things, per Cleveland Clinic.
    • Spinal stenosis, or the abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal: “This narrowing reduces the available space for the spinal cord and nerves,” per Cleveland Clinic, which can create that triggering pressure on the sciatic nerve.
    • Rarely, but sometimes, tumors: Those particularly in the lumbar spinal canal (the lower part of the spine) can compress the sciatic nerve.
    • Piriformis syndrome: This neuromuscular disorder is not super common, but it’s what happens when the piriformis muscle, a small muscle in the butt, becomes tight or spasms, resulting in pressure and irritation in the sciatic nerve, per Cleveland Clinic.

    There are also certain risk factors for sciatica, including aging, diabetes, and leading an inactive lifestyle, all of which can increase your chances of nerve damage.

    How Is Sciatica Diagnosed?

    Sciatica is typically diagnosed by a healthcare provider using a physical exam and imaging like a spinal X-ray or MRI to confirm your diagnosis, per Cleveland Clinic.

    How Is Sciatica Treated?

    Many cases of sciatica can and will go away over time with self-care treatments and lifestyle changes.

    Most people “can start with nonoperative treatment options,” Dr. Shah says, including activity modification, over-the-counter medication, and yoga and stretching exercises. Simple lifestyle changes, like getting up and going for a walk, can also be helpful for symptoms of sciatica, Dr. Shah says. As you increase the blood flow to the areas in your body where the nerves are, you can help promote your body’s own healing, he explains. Movement can help “with the symptoms of the irritation and hopefully to try and alleviate some mechanical factors that might be causing that discomfort,” Dr. Shah says. Using cold or hot packs can also help provide relief.

    Cleveland Clinic cautions that after a six-week trial of conservative, self-care treatments, like the kind mentioned above, and little to no relief, your healthcare provider will likely suggest other treatment options.

    Depending on the cause of your sciatica, your provider may recommend an anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, steroid injections, or surgery, Dr. Hu says.

    – Additional reporting by Maggie Ryan

    Alexis Jones is the senior health and fitness editor at PS. Her passions and areas of expertise include women’s health and fitness, mental health, racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, and chronic conditions. Prior to joining PS, she was the senior editor at Health magazine. Her other bylines can be found at Women’s Health, Prevention, Marie Claire, and more.

    Maggie Ryan was an assistant editor at PS. A longtime runner and athlete, Maggie has nearly four years of experience covering topics in the wellness space, specializing in fitness, sports, nutrition, and mental health.

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  • Yes, Anxiety Can Cause Bad Dreams – Here’s How to Stop Them – POPSUGAR Australia

    Yes, Anxiety Can Cause Bad Dreams – Here’s How to Stop Them – POPSUGAR Australia

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    Nightmares are terrifying enough on their own, but anxiety never seems to make dreams much sweeter. In my own experience, anxiety-induced nightmares may include illness, crawling bugs, or even someone breaking into my house – all of which cause me to wake up in the middle of the night, heart racing, and anxiety spiraling out of control.

    Sometimes my bad dreams reflect the things I’m feeling anxious about in the real world (like when I saw a giant spider right before bed). Other times, the contents of the dreams are unrelated. Still – at least on an anecdotal level – dealing anxiety right before bed also seems to affect the overall intensity of my nightmares. But can anxiety really cause bad dreams? And if so, is there a way to stop it? To find out more about anxiety, nightmares, and how to have a better night’s sleep, we went straight to the experts. Read on to see how psychologists think real-world anxiety could affect you in dreamland.

    Can Anxiety Cause Bad Dreams?

    You’re not imagining it – the experts we spoke with overwhelmingly agreed that anxiety can contribute to bad dreams. “Anxious thoughts while someone is asleep can manifest themselves as bad dreams or stress dreams,” Alex Dimitriu, MD, a double board-certified physician in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, tells PS. “Stress dreams, such as missing an important event, a test, or a flight, are often quite common in people undergoing stress during their daily lives. In turn, this mental activity can also activate the body and result in a lighter, more fitful sleep.”

    Although the reasons why we dream are not fully understood, there may be times when your mind is simply trying to work through a challenge from that day – one that could be causing you to feel anxious. “We do know from research that the brain continues to work on solving problems during sleep,” says Jason Durant, PsyD, a New York-based licensed clinical psychologist, who specializes in working with the LGBTQ+ community and those with a history of trauma. “This is likely to be true for the anxious mind, only with more emotionally challenging scenes playing out.”

    In that sense, dreaming can actually be a good thing, even if it feels uncomfortable at the time. “The mind is attempting to prompt you to use what tools you successfully used before when in a similar life situation, or to remind you what did not work and to try something new,” say Nancy Irwin, PsyD, C.Ht., a clinical psychologist and certified hypnotherapist who teaches dream analysis. “There really are no ‘bad dreams.’ Whatever comes up in the mind at night is for your highest good – not to torture you or scare you, but to release or resolve what is going on at the time of the dream.”

    How Do You Stop Anxiety Dreams?

    You may not be able to prevent bad dreams completely, but you can focus on managing your anxiety during the day, which may help alleviate the problem at night. “When we are bombarded with information, media feeds, and multiple inboxes, there simply is no time to just think anymore,” Dr. Dimitriu says. “So what happens to all those thoughts we accumulate during the day? They pop up at night, or just as we are finally, silently falling asleep, or waking up.” He suggests going for a walk, talking to friends, meditating, and journaling to process your feelings throughout the day.

    As you get ready for bed, it’s a good idea to have a solid sleep routine in place, even if that just means stepping away from your devices and taking some extra time to unwind and de-stress. “People with insomnia or stress dreams should spend 20 to 30 minutes each evening problem-solving and coming up with solutions with a pen and paper at hand,” Dr. Dimitriu suggests. “Thinking alone does not make anxiety better. This is where the importance of talking, writing, or even just sitting with one’s feelings becomes essential.”

    You could also take a few minutes to figure out what your anxiety dreams are trying to tell you. “You have the answers within you to ‘crack the code’ on the symbols, people, actions, etc. in your dreams,” Dr. Irwin says. “Sometimes they seem absurd, random, farcical, or scary. Ask yourself what the feeling is in the dream that mirrors what is going on in your life personally, professionally, and health-wise – that’s how you mine the gift of a dream.”

    Of course, if your anxiety or bad dreams are causing you to lose sleep or affecting your ability to function, it’s important to seek help. Talk to your therapist, psychiatrist, or general practitioner about your concerns for more specific medical advice.

    Sydni Ellis is a PS contributor with her master’s degree in journalism from the University of North Texas. She loves talking about her passions, including writing, shopping, and reading murder mysteries.

    Related: I Thought Lyme Disease Was the Worst Ticks Spread, Then I Got Alpha-Gal Syndrome

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  • What Is An Anxiety Disorder? Psychologists Break It Down – POPSUGAR Australia

    What Is An Anxiety Disorder? Psychologists Break It Down – POPSUGAR Australia

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    This informational guide, part of POPSUGAR’s Condition Center, lays out the realities of this health concern: what it is, what it can look like, and strategies that medical experts say are proven to help. You should always consult your doctor regarding matters pertaining to your health and before starting any course of medical treatment.

    Anxiety is a universal emotion. While it isn’t pleasant to experience, it can be helpful at times, giving you a shot of energy and focus before a big speech, a major surgery, or a tough conversation with a loved one. But if you feel anxious most of the time or the symptoms (like trouble breathing, heart palpitations, and obsessive thinking – for example) interfere with your regular life, you may have an anxiety disorder. So what is an anxiety disorder, exactly? And how can you tell if you’re experiencing anxiety disorder symptoms? Ahead, 2 psychologists break down anxiety disorder types, symptoms, causes, and best treatment options.

    What Is an Anxiety Disorder?

    Anxiety disorders are incredibly common, affecting about 31 percent of people in the US at some point in their life. Their symptoms can range from mild to severe. “Anxiety disorders can diminish your day-to-day well-being and take a toll on your relationships, your social life, your ability to do your job, and your health,” says Kathleen Cairns, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in private practice in West Hartford, CT. Anxiety sufferers often have insomnia, for instance, as well as digestive problems, headaches, and chronic pain.

    Types of Anxiety Disorders

    These are three of the most common types of anxiety disorders, according to Dr. Cairns:

    • Generalized anxiety disorder, in which you are flooded by intense worry about common problems, such as family, work, money, or health.
    • Phobias, which are characterized by extreme fear of something specific (e.g., small spaces, heights, social events).
    • Panic disorder, in which your anxiety becomes so overwhelming that your heart races, you sweat and tremble, you have chest pain, and you have an impending sense of doom.

    Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

    Anxiety disorder symptoms can show up in number of ways, including physically, mentally, and behaviorally, per the Cleveland Clinic:

    Physical symptoms of anxiety

    • Cold or sweaty hands
    • Dry mouth
    • Heart palpitations
    • Nausea
    • Tingling or numb hands or feet
    • Tense muscles
    • Trouble breathing

    Mental symptoms of anxiety

    • Panic
    • Nightmares
    • Obsessive thinking
    • Flashbacks to traumatic experiences

    Behavioral symptoms of anxiety

    • Trouble sleeping
    • Inability to be still
    • Ritualistic behaviors

    Causes of Anxiety Disorders

    Anxiety disorders can be triggered by a number of biological and environmental factors. These include:

    • Genetics. Certain anxiety disorders may run in families, research has shown.
    • Stress and difficult life experiences, including childhood and adult trauma.
    • Hormones. “Women are twice as likely to have anxiety as men, partly because of hormones,” says Ken Abrams, PhD, a professor of psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Past research has linked fluctuations in sex hormones like estrogen to a vulnerability to mood disorders like anxiety.
    • Brain biology likely contributes to the risk as well. Studies have shown that people with anxiety have increased activity in certain areas of their brains that relate to emotion processing; this could be caused by genetic and/or environmental factors.

    How Are Anxiety Disorders Diagnosed?

    “There are no lab tests or scans that can diagnose anxiety disorders,” per Cleveland Clinic. But a mental health professional (like a psychiatrist or psychologist) will be able to assess your reported systems and observe your behaviors to make an an assessment. They may also consult the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) when going about determining a diagnosis, Cleveland Clinic reports.

    Anxiety Disorder Treatments

    “Anxiety is usually treated with psychotherapy, medication, or both,” Dr. Abrams says.

    A variety of therapy types can be useful for the treatment of anxiety, including cognitive behavior therapy, which teaches people with anxiety to notice their worried thoughts and replace them with more realistic ones, Dr. Abrams says. Exposure therapy, which focuses on gradually confronting the fears underlying your anxiety, can be helpful as well. Another effective option: acceptance and commitment therapy, which teaches anxiety sufferers techniques like mindfulness and goal setting.

    “Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, a type of antidepressant, are helpful for some people. So are benzodiazepines, like Valium, although they can only be used briefly – if you have anxiety about an upcoming event, for instance – because they can cause dependence and withdrawal,” Dr. Abrams says. Beta blockers, which lower blood pressure to reduce the physical responses associated with anxiety, like a racing heart, are also useful and are commonly prescribed. Unlike benzodiazepines, they are less addictive.

    Research has shown that exercise can be calming for people with anxiety, too. It can also be useful to connect with other people with anxiety in a group therapy setting. “It’s easy to assume you’re the only person who experiences these feelings, which makes you feel worse – so group therapy can be comforting,” Dr. Abrams says. “Treatment doesn’t completely cure anxiety, but it can help you get on top of it so it doesn’t take as much of a toll on your life.”

    If you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety, the National Alliance on Mental Illness has resources available, including a helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6424). You can also dial 988, the nation’s new mental health crisis hotline.

    – Additional reporting by Alexis Jones

    Alexis Jones is the senior health and fitness editor at POPSUGAR. Her passions and areas of expertise include women’s health and fitness, mental health, racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, and chronic conditions. Prior to joining POPSUGAR, she was the senior editor at Health magazine. Her other bylines can be found at Women’s Health, Prevention, Marie Claire, and more.

    Ginny Graves is an award-winning writer in the San Francisco Bay Area whose work focuses on science, psychology, health, nature, and the human-animal bond.

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  • Condition Center: Vulvodynia – POPSUGAR Australia

    Condition Center: Vulvodynia – POPSUGAR Australia

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    This informational guide, part of POPSUGAR’s Condition Center, lays out the realities of this health concern: what it is, what it can look like, and strategies that medical experts say are proven to help. You should always consult your doctor regarding matters pertaining to your health and before starting any course of medical treatment.

    Any type of discomfort in your nether regions is uncomfortable, but if you have generalized, prolonged pain around your vagina, you may be experiencing vulvodynia.

    Vulvodynia is the medical term used to describe chronic, recurrent pain in the vulva, or the area of skin just outside and around the vagina, that has no known cause, says Kyle Graham, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn at Pediatrix Medical Group in San Jose, CA. “This means that there may be pain in the vulva, but it’s not because of an infection, rash, trauma, pinched nerve, or any lesion,” he explains. “It is pain with no obvious etiology.”

    Vulvodynia is chronic and by definition lasts at least three months, Dr. Graham says. The pain can be constant, but you may not experience it daily, as it can sometimes only be related to touch (e.g. during sex, putting in a tampon, or during a pelvic exam), he explains.

    Unfortunately, vulvodynia is not necessarily preventable, since there are so many potential causes (more on that soon), but there are various treatments to minimize symptoms and reduce pain, says Sameena Rahman, MD, an ob-gyn at Center For Gynecology and Cosmetics. Here’s everything you need to know about vulvodynia, including its potential causes and most effective treatments.

    Understanding Vulvodynia

    Vulvodynia is generalized, long-term pain or discomfort around the vulva, says Dr. Rahman. It’s usually localized to a specific area and causes a burning, itching, or stabbing sensation, she explains. The pain is also common during sex, while inserting a menstrual product like a tampon, or during a routine pelvic exam, adds Dr. Graham. “Any contact or touch of the genital region, no matter how gentle or slight, can elicit pain.”

    The condition mostly occurs in women before menopause, though it can affect people of all ages, Dr. Graham explains. Research finds vulvodynia occurs in all races, religions, and ethnic backgrounds, and 16 percent of women suffer from vulvodynia at some point, with the highest incidence between ages 18 and 25, Dr. Rahman adds.

    You can technically have sex with vulvodynia, but it’s usually too painful, especially at initial entry or with deep penetration, says Dr. Rahman. As a result, the pain can lead to a lack of desire, which makes sex even more difficult, she adds.

    In terms of getting diagnosed, your doctor will first conduct a thorough medical history to discuss when the pain started, how you prefer to have sex, whether you’ve used a tampon before, if you use birth control, and where you are on your menstrual cycle, Dr. Rahman says. “Vulvodynia is a descriptive term, but the diagnosis comes from a true investigation,” she explains.

    From there, your provider will typically perform a cotton-swab pressure-point test, where they use a small cotton-swab tip to apply pressure to various areas around the vulva and ask where your pain is located, Dr. Graham says. They will also do an internal exam of the vagina, uterus, ovaries, bladder, and pelvic muscles to look for signs of pain. This is done by gently placing one or two fingers inside the vagina with one hand while pressing down on the lower abdomen with the other and using a speculum to examine the walls of the vagina and cervix. Your doctor will also look at your back and spine for potential injuries and examine the vulva for subtle skin changes, Dr. Rahman explains.

    Causes of Vulvodynia

    There is not one known cause of vulvodynia, Dr. Graham says. By definition, the cause of pain is not identifiable, however it’s partially related to the immune system and nervous system, since there can be over-sensitized nerves and an excessive amount of nerve endings in the vulvar area, he explains. An injury to the back can also cause vulvodynia pain if nerves transmit their signal from the spinal cord to the vulva, Dr. Rahman adds.

    Vulvodynia can also be hormonal and related to a hormone deficiency such as chronic birth control use, menopause, perimenopause, postpartum, and/or if you’re breastfeeding, Dr. Rahman says.

    Additionally, vulvodynia can be caused by chronic inflammation from vaginal infections, disease, or skin conditions such as lichen planus, pelvic floor dysfunction, and genetics, Dr. Rahman adds.

    The Most Effective Vulvodynia Treatments

    There are various medications for vulvodynia, but topical creams like lidocaine are usually the first-line treatment, Dr. Graham says. Estrogen creams such as estradiol or Premarin are also a treatment starting point, while oral medications such as gabapentin, venlafaxine, and nortriptyline also have success in reducing symptoms, he explains. Botox injections and nerve blocks may also be recommended to help minimize pain, adds Dr. Rahman.

    Pelvic floor physical therapy is almost always another part of treatment, Dr. Rahman says. “Due to the pain of the vulva, many patients clench or guard the muscles of the pelvic floor, and this causes the tone of the pelvis to increase, and ultimately the muscles become weak,” she explains. Your doctor may discuss specific pelvic floor exercises or refer you to a pelvic floor specialist.

    Lastly, cognitive behavioral therapy with a licensed therapist can help tremendously, as anxiety and depression often accompany vulvodynia, Dr. Rahman says. “Treatment is a multidisciplinary approach.”

    Ultimately, vulvodynia can be difficult to diagnose and finding a successful treatment may be trial and error before finding an option that works for you. That said, it’s important to see a doctor anytime you are bothered by your vulvar pain, especially if it’s lasted for prolonged periods of three to six months, Dr. Rahman says. “Awareness and education are key, and finding someone who listens to you is paramount.”

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