Sciatic nerve pain can be unnerving, but there are different sciatica treatments you can avail of. Finding which one works for your sciatica might take some time. That means bearing with the pain and discomfort a little longer than possible which could affect your quality of life.
Being familiar with different types allows you to understand the advantages and limitations each sciatica treatment can offer. Here’s a guide for finding the effective sciatica treatment for you:
• Avail of home remedies. Drastic changes in temperature applied to your back can numb the pain and allow soreness to subside. This can be through compresses or baths. Fresh herbal poultices and juices can also help relieve the pain.
• Get a move on it. The best treatment for sciatica would be to exercise. Most of the exercise that treats the very core of sciatic nerve pain involves stretching the muscles to its comfortable limits. Non-impact exercises like yoga and tai chi can help prevent nerve injury and tone back muscles.
• Physical therapy rehabilitates. For people who experience much pain that it immobilizes them, a therapist can help them perform strengthening and flexibility exercises, aerobics and other exercises that increase their range of motion will help back muscles regain their tone. Deep tissue massage may also be done during therapy sessions to ease muscle tension. Friction and direct pressure are applied to the back to loosen tight muscles. Sometimes, electrical current or ultrasound waves are applied directly at the back to improve circulation, boost endorphin production and lessen muscle spasms.
• Medication can be given. Over-the-counter medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may alleviate the pain but not the soreness of the nerve. Injections of corticosteroids at the epidural space near the location of the sciatic nerve can relieve the inflammation at its core.
• Surgery for extreme cases. When sciatica is due to some anatomical defect, surgery is the only option for the patients. Some bones in the vertebrae may be removed to get them from putting pressure on the sciatic nerve. These are usually done for patients whose sciatica have not improved within four to six weeks.
An effective sciatica treatment primary objective is to remove the compression your sciatic nerve experiences for longer lasting relief. Other sciatica treatment will focus on providing temporary respite from the pain. For severe cases of sciatica, extreme measures may be done by your healthcare professional to alleviate the soreness.