Sciatica Pain Relief
Sciatica Nerve Pain Relief
Finding relief from sciatica pain can seem almost impossible. Sciatic nerve pain varies from a feeling of discomfort radiating down the leg to a burning sensation which runs from the pelvis-hips down the back of the leg, and makes it difficult to walk or even move. In treating sciatic pain, finding relief for the immediate pain is often the first priority. One factor that helps to speed the healing process is quite simply movement! Unfortunately, many sufferers are reluctant to move about and get on with everyday activities whilst suffering the pain that sciatica can bring.
Non-Prescription Drugs
Usually, the first thing that’s tried in the search for relief from sciatica is pharmacy-sold pain relievers. Aspirin, is still a popular anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), and it can help in relieving pain. It does have some drawbacks, including gastrointestinal irritation.
Similar NSAIDs are Ibuprofen and naproxen, and these are easier on the stomach. Acetaminophen, is another common NSAID, which works differently to ibuprofen and naproxen. It can be used alongside them if sciatica pain is more severe.
Getting Comfortable With Sciatica.
One of the basic approaches to sciatic pain management is: avoid sitting for extended periods of time. Sitting will usually compress the spine. This puts pressure on the sciatic nerve and causes more pain.
Sometimes periods of sitting can’t be avoided, if say you need to keep up desk-based work. In such cases, frequent
breaks need to be taken. This will decompress the spine and take the pressure off the sciatic nerve for a while.
Standing can bring relief, but standing is also going to compress the spine and also needs to be limited.
So what do we do?
One recommendation is lying down with your hips raised on a pillow. This will relieve the pressure on the sciatic nerve. A variant on this would be to lay on one side with one pillow between your legs and another supporting your arms.
My personal favourite is to use semi-supine posture. This involves laying flat on a folded blanket, with knees raised
Semisupine Exercise
and the head supported by a firm cushion or a phonebook. This semisupine approach comes from the Alexander technique, is widely used by yoga teachers for relaxation. It lets us comfortably flatten out the spine, so that the vertebrae can decompress, and the pressure on the sciatic nerves is relieved.
Ice and Heat in Sciatica Pain Therapy
Ice packs and heat pads offer very effective ways to gain relief from ciatica pain. The benefit of ice is that it decreases inflammation, as well as numbing sciatic pain. This is pretty standard first aid treatment for physical trauma. The ice packs should only be applied for fifteen or twenty minutes at a time; followed by the same period of off-time. This cycle can be repeated as required. Heating pads also offer pain relief for sciatica and can be applied for longer periods than ice.
Heatpad Therapy
There are now far infrared radiation heat pads available that offer a deeply penetrating heat treatment for sciatica and other pains.
Chiropractors and Osteopaths.
When an episode of sciatica if acutely painful, or chronic, you may need help from a skilled professional; a chiropractor or an osteopath. Often a herniated disc is the cause of sciatica pain. Muscle imbalance, leading to spine and joints being out of line, is often the problem. A health professional can perform the manual adjustments needed to realign the disc. This takes pressure off the sciatic nerve. If muscle spasms are the cause of the problem, the therapist might suggest supportive treatment by massage, other types of manipulation and exercise that will bring relief from sciatica nerve pain.
Conclusion
Sciatic nerve pain can be excruciating, and lead us to desperation in seeking relief. Because it can be so intense a pain, we probably expect to need major treatments to cure it, and so think in terms of surgery and strong drugs. This isn’t necessarily what’s needed.
The right exercises can be enough to release the original source of pressure that causes sciatica. The right supports, like ice & heat can hasten pain relief. Good practices like semi-supine can give substantial pain relief in just 10-20 minutes a day. Good habits like not sitting or standing for too long can ease the on-going aggravation of sciatica pain. Sciatic nerve pain relief is not difficult to achieve by quite natural methods that you can do for yourself at home.
