The 3 Best Ways to Find Sciatica Pain Relief

The pain from sciatica can be excruciating, accompanied by numbness and tingling in the leg. Sciatica occurs when the muscles around your sciatic nerve become inflamed and causes sciatic pain. The sciatic nerve runs down your lower back , down through each leg. Sciatica is commonly known as a pinched nerve. Or sometimes the sciatica can be the result of a ruptured or herniated disc putting pressure on the radicular nerve, which connects to the sciatic nerve.

The duration and severity of the pain varies from one person to another. It normally affects the lower back and one leg only, but pain may also extend to the feet and toes. Here I have identified three best ways to find sciatic pain relief.

Firstly, while many people feel the need to rest in bed with sciatica, exercises are actually the best way to start the healing process. A small period of rest is often recommended (2-3 days), but no longer as this can weaken the back muscles and being inactive can make the pain worse.

The spinal structure can deteriorate further if there is no movement. This results in a weaker support for the back. When you exercise the discs, the fluids between them are well lubricated and healthy.

A regular, gentle program of exercise is recommended. Targeted, stretching exercises such as Yoga can help alleviate sciatic pain. Stretching exercises loosen tight muscles and increase spaces between vertebrae, allowing more space for the spinal nerves. Depending on the cause of the sciatic pain, certain exercises may have to be avoided, so always check with your doctor before embarking on an exercise programme.

Secondly, medication is often used as an option for sciatic pain relief. Sciatic pain is best treated with an anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen or codeine. Sometimes a doctor may prescribe a muscle relaxant In severe cases, an injection of cortisone may be given by your doctor. This is however only a temporary solution. Medication will only alleviate the pain, but they will not heal the underlying problem. Looking at your lifestyle and finding the cause of your sciatica will help you to treat this painful condition on a more long term basis.

And finally, heat or ice are often an effective pain relief for sciatica and easy to use at home. Ice is always advised immediately after an injury. Ice reduces the inflammation around an injury and relieve acute pain. Ice should be used for 15-20 minutes at a time, no more as it can stiffen the muscles. This should be done 15-20 minutes on and 30 minutes off for the first 48 hours. Heat should not be applied at this time.

Heat can be applied 48 hours after the injury as it helps increase the circulation, helping the healing process. Heat can be applied half an hour on and one hour off for best results.

If the pain is ongoing a combination of ice and heat can be used. Ice should be used first and applied for 15-20 minutes, wait 30-60 minutes then apply heat for 30-45 minutes. Using ice and heat will reduce pain and inflammation and  increase circulation, resulting in lasting pain relief for some patients.

Remember when using ice. not to apply it directly to the skin. Ice cubes in a plastic bag or wrapped in a cloth or using a commercial ice pack all work well.

Heat works best when used in conjunction with moisture. Wet heat such as wet towels are effective as is a hot bath or jacuzzi, which has the added benefit of a massage.

Which ever form of pain relief you decide on for sciatica, it is always advisable to seek the advice of your doctor first to get an accurate diagnosis and best possible treatment for your condition. Pain from sciatica can be very debilitating. So for long term relief from sciatica pain, it is best to identify the cause of the injury and try to rectify this first.