Sciatica is pain caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. It usually affects only one part of the body but tends to be severe and debilitating.
The pain usually extends from the lower back to the rear of the thigh and down through the leg.
It can be accompanied by symptoms like burning or tingling down the leg, shooting pain that causes difficulty standing up or sitting down, and numbness and weakness down the affected leg and even in
the toes.
Sciatica, or pain along the sciatic nerve and in the lower back, can be overwhelming. It can send shooting or burning pain from the lower back, into the hip, and all the way to the feet. It hurts to sit, to walk, and even to lay in bed.
What are the Causes of Sciatica Pain?
Sciatica pain is caused due to irritation of the roots of the lower lumbar and lumbosacral spine. Usually when the sciatic nerve becomes pinched it gives rise to sciatica pain. Below are the causes for such pinched sciatic nerve.
Herniated or bulging disk in the spine.
Overgrowth of bone on the vertebrae.
Lumbar spinal stenosis which may be understood as narrowing down of the spinal canal in the lower back.
Degenerative disc disease. It may be understood as degeneration of at least one of the inter-vertebral discs of the spinal column. Discs act as cushions between the vertebrae.
Spondylolisthesis. It is a condition where one vertebra slips forward over another vertebra giving rise to sciatica.
Sciatic nerve pain in pregnancy is also common.
Tumor can also lead to sciatica though it is a rare occurrence.
Sometimes diseases like diabetes also damage the sciatic nerve giving way to sciatica pain.
Other minor causes of sciatica may include being overweight, not exercising, wearing high heels, sleeping on a very soft mattress etc. In fact, these are not the direct causes of sciatica pain but may worsen the condition of sciatica lower back pain.
Sciatic pain can be caused by damaged discs, inflamed tissues surrounding the nerve, and a chronically tight piriformis muscle that compresses the nerve. Long-term compression can lead to nerve damage, so it's best to treat this early
Sciatica is most often caused by a herniated or slipped disc. It can also be caused by issues like a spinal injury or infection, degenerative disc disease, pregnancy, spinal stenosis, isthmic spondylolis thesis and piriformis syndrome.
Sciatic Nerve Pain Symptoms
*Usually, only one side of the body is affected by the sciatic nerve pain. However, this pain essentially radiates from the lower spine to the buttock and down the back of the leg. The common symptoms of sciatica pain are as below.
*Pain in the back, especially lower back or leg which worsens due to prolonged sitting.
*Burning or tingling sensation in the leg. It can be mild ache to a sharp pain for different people. *Burning sensation is also not felt by everyone.
*Weakness and/or numbness in the leg or foot.
*Difficulty in moving the leg or foot.
*Constant pain on one side of your back
*Sometimes it feels like a jolt or an electric shock
*Some people may have pain in one part of the leg and numbness in another.
*If it is a mild pain, it will go away in some time. However, if the pain lasts for more than a week or becomes severe getting worse day by day, then you should consider seeing your doctor. Severe *symptoms of sciatica also include sudden, severe pain in your low back or leg along with numbness or muscle weakness there. If so, consult your physician. If you face trouble in controlling your bowels or bladder, you should immediately seek medical attention.
*Although there are many conventional treatments for sciatica, they may only ease the pain temporarily. Plus, most steroid injections can cause serious side effects.
You can use some home remedies and natural therapies as well to reduce inflammation and pressure on the irritated sciatic nerve. Plus, in most cases, the problem goes away with time (around 6 weeks) and rest.
Yoga and Stretching
Moving in certain ways can aggravate sciatic pain, but in some cases it can actually help relieve the pain. Some people find that sitting, standing for a long time and moving around abruptly tends to trigger pain. The types of movements that tend to make pain worse involve scrunching or shortening the spine, such as raising the legs up, bringing the knees toward the chests or squatting.
Relaxing the Muscles Around the Irritated Nerve
Rest at regular intervals, in postures chosen to relieve pain. Intentionally relax all the muscles in your body in these positions:
Lay on your stomach with a pillow or rolled towel underneath your hips.
Lay on your stomach with one leg bent and out to one side - the first aid recovery pose. Put a pillow under the knee to remove any strain on your back.
My favorite: Lay on your back with a pillow under your head. Rest your feet on a chair so that your knees are bent and your lower back is flat against the floor.
Sciatica, or pain along the sciatic nerve and in the lower back, can be overwhelming. It can send shooting or burning pain from the lower back, into the hip, and all the way to the feet. It hurts to sit,
to walk, and even to lay in bed.
Sciatic pain can be caused by damaged discs, inflamed tissues surrounding the nerve, and a chronically tight piriformis muscle that compresses the nerve. Long-term compression can lead to nerve damage, so it's best to treat this early.
Hot or Cold Compresses
Using hot or cold compresses can help relieve sciatica pain and inflammation. Heat treatment relaxes tense muscles that may be compressing the sciatic nerve.
You can also alternate heat and cold, starting with the hot compress and ending with the cold compress. When using heat, use moist heat like a steamed towel as it is more effective.
Place a hot or cold pack on the affected area for 15 to 20 minutes.
Do this every few hours until you get relief.
Acupuncture and Massage Therapy
You’re probably somewhat familiar with acupuncture — at least the fact that it involves tiny needles. But what is acupuncture exactly?
Acupuncture is a type of traditional Chinese medicine practice that is based on achieving or maintaining better health by opening the body’s natural flow of energy. It uses tiny, virtually pain-free needles to target specific pathways in the body. It’s been approved by the FDA as a treatment for back pain and is supported by various studies for relieving chronic pain of all kinds, including sciatica.
Exercises
In addition to rest, maintaining normal activity is highly beneficial for dealing with sciatica.
A day or two after a sciatica flare up, you can start a regular exercise program to strengthen the abdominal and back muscles. Strengthening the core muscles helps facilitate quick recovery.
Turmeric
Turmeric has received a lot of play lately for its anti-inflammatory benefits. But its record in natural health is long -standing. Thanks to harnessing anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric can help relieve sciatica pain and swelling by lowering levels of certain inflammation-fueling enzymes. Ingest it as a tea, use it in your cooking, or even apply it topically in a paste for the best benefits.
This is just one of many health benefits of turmeric.
Turmeric is an effective natural remedy for sciatica because of its anti-inflammatory properties. It contains a compound called curcumin that helps reduce nerve pain and inflammation.
Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric to 1 cup of milk. You can also add a small cinnamon stick. Boil the solution. Sweeten this healthy drink with honey and drink it once or twice daily until you see improvement.
Another option is to take 250 to 500 mg turmeric supplements 3 times a day for several weeks. Consult your doctor first.
Turmeric may not be suitable for those taking blood thinners or diabetes medications. Those suffering from gallstones should also avoid it.
Garlic
Like turmeric, garlic also has amazing anti-inflammatory properties, making it a great sciatica pain treatment. Increase your use garlic in all your dishes, but also consider taking the cloves directly as a supplement. Four raw cloves each morning can go a long way to fight pain (and also to boost your immune system). The benefits of garlic truly are amazing.
Sciatica pain can be effectively managed naturally. By combining herbal remedies with regular physical activity and stretching, you can potentially relieve much of your pain and discomfort. Yoga, swimming, and even walking are some additional sciatica pain treatment tips.
St. John’s Wort Oil
A yellow-flowered plant used medicinally since the time of ancient Greece, St. John’s Wort has been used throughout history to treat nerve pain. Having anti-inflammatory, astringent, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties, the herb is one of many known for helping to regenerate nerve tissue and relieve pain associated with sciatica.
Massage
Massage therapy can relieve sciatica pain and also help the body heal itself, especially if the problem is caused by a muscle spasm.
Massage the affected area with St. John’s wort oil 2 or 3 times a day until you get relief. St John’s wort has anti-inflammatory properties that help relieve sciatica pain and inflammation.
Another option is to add 3 tablespoons of nutmeg powder to 1 cup of sesame oil. Heat the mixture. Allow it to cool and massage the affected area with it when it is comfortably warm. Do this a few times a day for a few weeks.
You can also consider trigger-point massage therapy at least once daily. Pain in the lower back, buttocks and side of the thighs is often associated with trigger points in the gluteus medius and minimus muscles.
How to do Acupressure for Sciatic Pain Relief
Sciatic nerve relief is what you want when you experience the extreme pain due to sciatica. Acupressure can give you this relief. Acupressure can be understood as an alternative medicine technique just like acupuncture. The difference is just in the means of applying pressure on the points over your body. While acupuncture uses needles, acupressure uses physical pressure over the body points for clearing the blockages that might be causing pain and other discomforts in your body. Pressure can be applied by hands, elbow, or other devices. For example, the acupressure technique for sciatic nerve relief that you are going to read below can be done with your fists or with the help of a tennis ball.
Piriformis Muscle Stretch to relieve Sciatic PainLie on your back.
Bend both the knees.
Feet should be flat on the floor.
Raise the right knee up towards the chest.
Hold this knee with your left hand and pull it towards your left shoulder as far as you can.
Hold for 30 seconds.
Return to starting position.
Repeat with the left leg.
Do 2-3 times with both the legs.
When you do these exercises and stretches regularly on a daily basis, you will not only relieve but also prevent sciatic nerve pain.You could also try arnica, a time-tested homeopathic remedy for all sorts of aches and injuries. It can be found online through several homeopathic vendors and is offered both in the traditional homeopathic oral solution or in creams and rubs.
In rheumatic diseases like arthritis, back pain, arthritis, sciatica, knee pain etc. herbal medicines prepared from herbs prove to be maximum effective. Eradicates the disease from the root. Even old patients who are bed bound with the drug regain pain free mobility. Desperate patients have been cured by this medicine despite expensive treatment in big hospitals. For quick effect medicine, you can contact Mr. Damodar on 98267-95656.
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