For a patient that has sciatica, there only answer to management would be a sciatic nerve cure. Less than 50% of people undergoing disc surgery get the relief they're seeking, and many of those in the other half end up with "failed back surgery syndrome," a condition in which the symptoms are worse after surgery than they were before. Complications of surgery include problems from post-surgical scar tissue formation and increased stress on adjacent spinal discs which may result in additional problems with other discs in the years following surgery.

Fortunately, there is a new option in sciatica symptom relief that has a high success rate and a very low risk of side-effects. A newly available, advanced spinal traction technique which utilizes a specialized computer traction motor to gently decompress the spine, thus reducing pressure on the spinal discs is being called spinal decompression.

Disc hydration and nutrition, which can help with disc healing, can be achieved with spinal decompression systems through the creation of negative pressure within the spinal disc - actually reversing herniated discs and nerve pressure. Different from old types of spinal traction (which had the possibility for pain because the traction could lead to muscle spasms), spinal decompression systems are attuned to the body and respond to it to maintain muscle relaxation to make treatment comfortable and effective.

Initial investigations have revealed a success percentage of 80 to 90% in stretches for sciatica, with the advantages gained through the treatment remaining sustained over a lengthy period. After treatment, the chances of recurrence within a year 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.