Sciatica is the pain which starts in the lower back and goes down through the legs and even into the feet.
Why it happens?
The main cause of sciatica pain is herniated disk. It is a condition when the disc develops a sort of crack or tear and bulges in the spinal canal, pinching the sciatic nerve. Generally the symptoms clear up within 6 weeks or so but in some cases, the pain may last for a longer period of time. Some people face intense and sharp pain and others experience weakness, tingling sensation and numbness in legs.
Sciatica causes discomfort and severe pain and there are a lot of effective treatments for the same. Most people having sciatica don’t end up requiring a surgery and about half of them get better in 6 weeks with rest and medication. In case your pain is mild and it is not coming in between your regular activities, your doctor may recommend you to try some combination of solutions like physical therapy, stretching and strengthening exercises, bed rest etc. Let’s take a look at the common treatments available for sciatica condition:
Exercise
Inflammation can get better when you are in motion and so it is good to indulge in short walks. Your doctor may ensure the best exercise for your condition so that you don’t harm yourself any further.
Stretching
You can get relief from sciatica pain by doing some lower back stretching exercises.
Physical therapy
Your physical therapist may be able to help you develop a stretching and exercising routine and can improve your overall posture to take the pressure off the sciatic nerve.
Bed rest
Three days are good enough to take bed rest for your pain but it is also important at the same time to be on firm mattress or floor and return to your daily chores when the pain gets better.
Cold and hot packs
Apply both cold and hot packs for several minutes on your lower back, few times in a day. Do the cold packs for first few days and then go for the heat packs.
Muscle relaxants
Taking non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs can ease your pain. As painful muscle spasms may accompany disk herniation, physical therapists prescribe pain reducing antidepressants or muscle relaxants.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is the type of practice that is based on maintaining good health by opening the natural flow of energy in the body. It uses pain free, small needles to get specific pathways. It has also been approved by the FDA as the treatment for relieving back pain and is also supported by a lot of studies to relieve chronic pain of sciatica.
Surgery
Apart from the non surgical procedures mentioned above, after 4-6 weeks of severe pain and symptoms, you may opt for undergoing a surgery if the condition doesn’t get any better, the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial found that the ones who had a surgery for herniated disk had more decreases in pain 3 months afterwards than the patients who did not undergo a surgery. Also, the benefits lasted for 4 years.
So, these are the top treatment options for sciatica pain. Hope this post was useful for you.