Sciatica occurs due to the compression at the base of the spine. This compression leads to pain in the lower back and gluetal region of the body. This pain travels to ankle, calf, thighs and knee. Real Sciatica happens when the pain reaches the knees and the ankles. Sciatica actually is the pain that moves through the sciatic nerve – the longest nerve in your body. This nerve starts from your spinal cord to your hips and down to the leg. The pain therefore moves along this nerve and the parts of body it connects. Sciatica actually may not be problem in itself. It may have other inherent causes which are connected to the sciatic nerve like herniated disk.
Sciatica can reduce your mobility and normal daily activities considerably. The duration of the pain varies according to the inherent cause and may subside in 4-8 weeks time. However, there is no need to loose hope. There are many sciatica treatments both clinical and home based which can help cure and manage sciatica and reduce pain.
Common Sciatica Treatments
Bed Rest
The most common sciatica treatment suggested by doctors is bed rest. It helps in relieving pain. However, only taking bed rest is not going to solve the problem fully. You should combine rest with physical activity that is enough to keep you active without aggravating the pain.
Exercise
After the reduction in pain, doctors suggest exercises and physiotherapy to avoid the recurrence of the problem. These exercises are mainly aimed at improving your mobility, rectifying your posture and in making the muscles around your lower back strong.
Medicines
The pain can be treated with anti inflammatory non steroidal dugs combined with drugs that relax muscles. Anticonvulsant drugs and Tricyclic antidepressants are also prescribed to reduce pain. These drugs work in two ways – by blocking the sensations in reaching your brain – and by producing endorphins that naturally help reduce pain.
Steroid Based Treatments
Sometimes, the doctors also prescribe epidural or corticosteroid steroid injections to help reduce inflammation in the effected areas.
Surgery
Surgery also brings relief to patients. Surgery is performed when the pain does not subside even after rest, medications or other forms of treatment and the nerve compression leads to other problems like extreme weakness and bladder incontinence etc
Alternative Sciatica Treatment
Many alternative sciatica treatments like yoga, acupuncture, acu-pressure and biofeedback therapy also exist. These alternative treatments are very effective in curing your sciatica problem.
Sciatica Treatment At Home
There are many home based sciatica treatment too. Some of them are very effective in curing your sciatica pain quickly. For example ice treatment is very effective in controlling sciatica pain if it is used with in 48 hours of the onset of pain. Movement is also a good option in reducing pain. Doing exercises that stretch piriformis muscles are helpful in controlling sciatica pain. Balancing your pelvis region properly also helps in controlling pain. You can do this by lying down on the bed to check whether the balance is properly distributed on both sides.
These sciatica treatments can help in curing and reducing your sciatica pain.
Neil Jones
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/sciatica-treatments-that-really-help-756234.html
#1 by sherry b on November 20th, 2009
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Does anyone have any Sciatica treatments that really work?
I have had this pinched sciatic nerve now for over two months. I would like to find out if any one knows any good treatment that really works!
I have tried everything from going to the chiropractor to sitting on a golf ball!
#2 by ju1244 on November 20th, 2009
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Maybe you need a new chiropractor! Acupuncture works too.
References :
#3 by julie j on November 20th, 2009
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I am a massage therapist and have been able to help sciatic problems alot with some focused deep tissue massage right where the nerve gets pinched, but more is needed to heal the problem completely
I have found magnesium supplements to be extreemely effective because, chronic muscle tension and spasms tend to be related to a magnesium defficiency.
I have found natural calm to be the best… you can find it at pretty much any health food store.
Also regular yoga will help tremendously
References :
#4 by ? on November 20th, 2009
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Sitting on a golf ball ? That is a new one.
Sciatica can be a tough problem with many possible causes and if whatever treatment you’re trying isn’t addressing the cause of "your" sciatica nothing will be accomplished.
To begin with how do you know you have sciatica ? All leg pain is not sciatica . You should check out my webpage on sciatica and see if any of those possible causes fit your picture . Then look at the treatments page to see if anything looks like it might be helpful , then give it a try .
http://www.living-with-back-pain.org/sciatica-symptoms.html
Good luck and let me know if anything helps .
Dave
http://www.living-with-back-pain.org/
References :
http://www.living-with-back-pain.org/
#5 by Traveler on November 20th, 2009
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I developed a bulging disc between lumbar 4 and 5 by running too much on the jogging trail and developed sciatica down my left leg.
I’ll tell you what I did. You’ll have to decide what is
applicable in your case.
1) My chiropractor recommended taking daily doses of 100 mg. of Vitamin B6. It strengthens nerve insulation. I noticed an improvement in 4 to 6 weeks.
2) Aleve is a good NSAID medication that is sold over the counter.
The doctor can prescribe a stronger form of the drug in the name Naproxen. The doctor can also prescribe Tramadol which is a narcotic and good pain reliever. Back ice packs are a good idea also. Usually they can be placed around the waist area for the best relief.
(They connect with velcro) You can buy them at most pharmacies
— example at the site below:
http://www.shapeupshop.com/fitness/recovery/ice_heat_wrap.htm
3) The lunge exercise is good for sciatic conditions.
An example is at the bottom of this site:
http://www.halhigdon.com/15Ktraining/Strength.html
4) I bought the Teeter inversion table. You can invert yourself partially or completely for spine decompression. It feels great.
It costs a few hundred but I like it. This is the best bang for the
buck as far as I’m concerned.
http://www.teeterhangups.com/home.html
5) I purchased the Rebuilder 2407 Electronic Stimulator (information at the site below). This product was intended for a variety of ailments including nerve damage due to diabetes but I found it helpful when the electrical attachments are placed slightly to the right and left of the spine where the bulging disk occurs. In my case,
just slightly lower than waist level to the right and left of the spine.
I paid $699 for this (although they’ve reduced the price since), so it’s something to consider even though it’s a little expensive. I bought the more expensive model since it had the AC adapter associated
with it rather than just the battery (and so it supplies more power). It definitely makes you feel good when you use it at 7.83 Hz.
http://www.rebuildermedical.com/
References :