Sciatica, or leg pain brought on by a pinched nerve in the lower back, affects about 40% of Americans at some point in their lives. Finding efficient sciatic nerve pain therapy is crucial because the ailment may be quite painful and affect so many people.
The sciatic nerve exits the lower spine on each side, passing via the pelvis and buttocks. The nerve then travels up the back of each upper leg before splitting into branches that travel to the foot at the knee. Despite the fact that the pain starts in nerve roots on either side of the lower spine, it eventually travels down the nerve that spans the length of each leg, from the buttock to the foot.
According to William A. Abdu, M.D., the medical director of the Spine Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, the leg pain, also known as radiculopathy, “is sometimes greater than the back pain.” The sensation, which is typically in one leg, “may be unpleasant,” according to Birgit Ruppert, a physical therapist at the Spine Center. Some individuals compare it to the nerve agony that comes with a toothache.
The most frequent reason for sciatica is a herniated disc, which can squeeze the sciatic nerve when it develops a tear or split and pushes into the spinal canal. The majority of the time, symptoms go away in approximately six weeks, but for some people, the discomfort may persist much longer.
Are you prepared to feel better soon? We’re presenting a variety of treatments that have been recommended by medical professionals after consulting with orthopaedic surgeons, chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists, psychiatrists, and integrative medicine specialists.
The Best Remedies for Sciatic Nerve Pain
Chiropractor Services
A 2010 study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics indicated that 60% of sciatica patients who tried spinal manipulation after trying other treatments failed to provide pain relief also experienced the same level of pain alleviation as those who underwent surgery. The 120 participants in the study visited a chiropractor once every three weeks for the first four weeks, and then they continued weekly visits, cutting back on care as they began to feel better. Benefits from chiropractic care could last up to a year in patients who responded to it. According to study author Gordon McMorland, D.C. of National Spine Care in Calgary, Alberta, “Spinal manipulation may trigger a response in the nervous system that relieves pain and restores normal mobility to the injured area.” Additionally, it lessens inflammation, which fosters the body’s innate healing processes.
Acupuncture
Although it takes about 12 sessions to see improvement, Jingduan Yang, M.D., assistant professor at the Jefferson Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University, claims that you can experience relief as soon as the first session. According to a small study published in the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, out of 30 sciatica sufferers, warming acupuncture, in which the needles are heated, provided complete relief for 17 of them while easing symptoms for 10 more.
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Yoga
According to a study published in the journal Pain, people with chronic back pain who practised Iyengar yoga for 16 weeks saw a 64% decrease in pain and a 77% decrease in disability. Although the benefits of yoga for sciatica are less certain, gentle forms may be useful. According to James W. Carson, Ph.D., a psychologist at the Comprehensive Pain Center at Oregon Health & Science University, yoga can help sciatica sufferers “move and function better so they don’t fall into a posture that aggravates the sciatica.” Try these socks made specifically for finding your balance in your yoga practise for more grip and stability.
Massage for Trigger Points
If you have sciatica, don’t anticipate a relaxing spa massage. According to Jeff Smoot, vice president of the American Massage Therapy Association, trigger-point therapy is the most effective in this situation. The piriformis muscle, which is situated below the glutes, is where the sciatic nerve is located. According to Smoot, a tight piriformis muscle can pinch the sciatic nerve, resulting in tingling and numbness in the leg. The piriformis muscle, as well as the muscles in the lower back and glutes, have trigger points that are irritated and inflamed. He applies pressure to these areas. Smoot typically places appointments 7 to 10 days apart. According to him, patients “need to try another form of therapy” if they have not made progress by the fourth visit.
Present-Day Preparations
Tieraona Low Dog, M.D., director of the fellowship at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, says that St. John’s wort oil ($13; amazon.com) is “one of my favourites for nerve pain.” Where there is pain, apply the anti-inflammatory oil two or three times per day. An additional choice is an over-the-counter cayenne pepper cream ($19, amazon.com); capsaicin, an ingredient in chiles, prevents the nerves’ release of pain-inducing substances. Low Dog treats severe cases with the Qutenza shingles pain relief prescription patch. According to Low Dog, one application has a weeks-long shelf life.
Heat or Ice
Ice or heat applied to the skin’s surface won’t help with the inner inflammation because the sciatic nerve is buried deep within the buttock and leg. Ruppert claims that the traditional remedies have the ability to act as counterirritants because they “give your body other input in the painful area, and that brings the pain down a notch.” Use a heating pad ($35; amazon.com) or an ice pack as needed for 15 minutes.
Devil’s claw
Devil’s claw is an herbal remedy that “works like ibuprofen and similar drugs to inhibit substances that drive inflammation,” according to Low Dog. There is some evidence that Devil’s Claw may help lower pain more effectively than a placebo in cases of low back pain.
Patients are typically started on 1,500 to 2,000 mg twice daily with Low Dog. Choose a product with a standardised extract of the active ingredient, harpagoside, that contains about 50 mg. According to safety studies, the supplement is generally well tolerated, but it should be avoided by people who have peptic ulcers or are taking blood-thinning medications. Here are the top supplements for joint health.
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Muscle relaxants and painkillers
An NSAID, either prescribed or OTC (such as ibuprofen), can relieve the discomfort. Doctors occasionally prescribe muscle relaxants or painkilling tricyclic antidepressants due to the possibility that painful muscle spasms may also be present in disc herniation cases. Warning: According to A, these won’t relieve pain brought on by pressure on the sciatic nerve. A spokesperson for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is Dr. Nick Shamie.
Epidural Steroid Infusions
An x-ray-guided injection of steroid into the lower back near the sciatic nerve may be used to treat people whose pain doesn’t go away after about a month and who aren’t helped by other treatments, according to Raj Rao, M.D., a spokesperson for the AAOS. Rao explains that the goal is to lessen inflammation in that nerve branch. The number of epidural injections is capped at three per year due to concerns about potential side effects like bone density loss.
Physical activity and therapy
People with sciatica typically don’t want to move, but it’s important to maintain an active lifestyle. According to Ruppert, lying in bed increases the likelihood that the pain will last longer. Take 15 to 20 minute walks. “Exercise increases blood flow to the disc and the nerve, helping to get rid of the chemicals causing the inflammation.” If that hurts too much, try water aerobics or swimming instead; Ruppert claims that the pressure on the back is less when you’re submerged. It might also be beneficial to visit a physical therapist, who can recommend stretches to help the back regain flexibility or exercises to help the core muscles get stronger, stabilising the spine and lowering the risk of a similar injury.
Surgery
Patients may be candidates for surgery after 4 to 6 weeks of unremitting symptoms.
People who had symptoms that persisted after six weeks were enrolled in the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT), which discovered that patients who underwent surgery for a herniated disc experienced greater reductions in pain and disability three months later than those who did not. Benefits persisted for up to four years.
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