Remedies To Get Rid Of Sciatic Nerve Pain

By Pooja Kaushal

Wednesday, December 16, 2015, 15:51 [IST]

We have often heard people suffering from an unbearable pain that originates in the lower back and runs all the way down to the feet. It is so bad that the affected person is almost rendered bed ridden. This is called a sciatic nerve pain.

This kind of pain occurs due to a compression or irritation in one or more nerves exiting the lower spine. These nerves collectively make up the sciatic nerve.

Since the pain is very serious and can badly affect the person suffering from it, a patient would want to know how to get rid of such a pain.

But, before we go into the remedies, it would be helpful to know about some of the causes leading to the condition.

Causes Of The Sciatic Nerve Pain

Some of the very common causes of a sciatic nerve pain can be listed as follows:

• Disc degeneration: With age, certain amount of disc degeneration is normal; however, in some people, this may lead to a compression in the sciatic nerve.

• Narrowing of the spinal canal: Once again a condition related to the ageing process, the narrowing of the spinal canal may put an excessive pressure on the sciatic nerve.

• Herniated disc: This is most commonly known as a slipped disc. A sciatica pain is a very common symptom of a slipped disc.

• Piriformis syndrome: When the piriformis muscle in the buttock area irritates a sciatic nerve, it could lead to a sciatic nerve pain.

Remedies For Sciatic Nerve Pain

Causes of the problem can be multiple, but the end result is a severe pain. The only thing that matters in such a state is to look for ways how to relieve sciatic nerve pain.

There are a couple of options that can be explored and adopted based on personal preference and suitability.

• Over-the-counter medicines: There are several over-the-counter medicines that provide relief from sciatic nerve pain. If the affected person is suffering from a particular medical condition like high blood pressure, diabetes or heart problem then it would be best to consult a doctor before popping in a pill. Multiple medicines are available and there will always be something that suits each person suffering from this.

• Surgery: When considering how to get rid of sciatic nerve pain, surgery could be an option. However, since surgery in any part of the body can be a huge step, it would be best to take a couple of opinions before going in for that cut in the body. The proper cause needs to be well diagnosed, so that when the surgery is performed the condition is healed completely. Without a proper diagnosis and proper interpretation, it may result in undesired results.

• Physiotherapy: If the condition is not very serious, a doctor can advise physiotherapy to get relief from a sciatic nerve pain. It is also advised not to stay in bed for a prolonged period, as it may worsen the condition.

Once the patient feels a little relief in the pain movement, whatever little possible, must be resumed. This will help free the muscles and nerves that otherwise may get jammed.

• Acupuncture: Alternative therapy is gaining popularity for treatment of many ailments. Same is the case for sciatica. One of the ways to relieve sciatic nerve pain is acupuncture. Specialists in the field of acupuncture insert needles at specific points in the body.

It is believed that the various parts of the body are connected to one another in specific ways. An acupuncture expert knows exactly where to insert a needle, so that sciatic nerve pain can be relieved.

• Yoga: There is no conclusive evidence on yoga treating sciatic nerve pain; however, the wonders of yoga are no secret. The various poses are designed so as to strengthen the body and heal the body if required. Since sciatica is also a physical problem, yoga asanas may help provide some amount of relief.

• Fomentation: Hot and cold fomentations are considered to bring about a certain degree of relief in the affected area. The method is to alternate between hot and cold packs that can be relieving to a patient.

While the causes of sciatica are many, treatment for sciatic nerve pain are also available in various forms. Remember to get a proper medical examination done to arrive at the real cause for the problem. Besides that, be a little careful and avoid lifting heavy objects.