Sciatica nerve pain is caused by a pinched nerve in the lower back that is often considered to be worse than back pain. It begins in the nerve roots located on either side of the lower spine. My mother recently experienced this condition and it caused her so much pain that she could hardly move. What are some ways of treating this distressing pain that has affected her and so many others? How could you successfully alleviate this pain without surgery? Here are four methods of treating this condition and two of them I just learned about.
The first one is a tried and true method and is the type of care I receive every month. That is chiropractic care. According to the HealthiGuide article, “11 Effective Sciatica Pain Treatments,” people who responded well to chiropractic care saw benefits lasting up to a year. Spinal manipulation can create a response in the nervous system that relieves pain and helps restore normal mobility to the injured area.
The second method involves using topical treatments. Applying over-the-counter oils and creams are effective ways to treat sciatica pain. The above article shared some treatments I didn’t know of including St. John’s wort oil, cayenne pepper cream, and Qutenza, a prescription chile patch. All of these topical treatments help in easing sciatica pain.
Most people rely on pain relievers and muscle relaxants for some type of back pain. Those forms of treatments are fine, but also look into this herbal medication called devil’s claw. Its strong anti-inflammatory content could work like Ibuprofen in driving inflammation down. However, you may want to be careful before using it. The HealthiGuide article says that this medicated supplement is tolerable by most people, but should be avoided by patients with peptic ulcers or on blood
thinning medications.
The last method is another beneficial treatment and it involves utilizing exercising and physical therapy. While it is very hard for people dealing with sciatica pain to move around, it’s still very important for them to be physically active to stop the pain from lasting longer. Exercise increases blood flow to the disk and nerve, which helps get rid of the chemicals causing the inflammation. Try doing 20-minute walks and swimming as exercises that still get the blood flowing without putting too much strain on the nerves. Physical therapy can give you the needed flexibility for your back and strength for your core muscles.
Sciatica pain is excruciating, but it could be treated with these proven treatment methods. For more information on various treatment options concerning sciatica pain, check out the article, “11 Effective Sciatica Pain Treatments,” on www.healthiguide.com. Also, look at the article, “9 Great Exercises for Sciatica and Lower Back Pain” on the website.
