Today, with advanced medicine, experts have researched many ways to relieve sciatica quickly and effectively.
Sciatica pain begins in the lower back area and extends to the legs. Sometimes, it also affects the feet. The pain is most likely caused by one or more of the following:
- Spinal disc herniation
- Slipped vertebra
- Degenerative disc
- Pyramid syndrome
- Lumbar spinal stenosis
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
Often, many people will experience intense throbbing pain when this is the case. Others feel itching, numbness and leg weakness significantly.
People with sciatica often feel incredibly uncomfortable. Today, however, experts have found many effective ways to relieve sciatica. Most people need surgery. Meanwhile, about 50% of people with this condition can improve the situation in six weeks with only rest and medication.
So, you already know how to relieve sciatica? Let Howtonc learn more about these tips through the article below.
Non-surgical sciatica treatments
According to statistics from many experts, about half of sciatica cases can be healed in a few weeks with just a few simple home remedies. If your pain is not severe and you can still function or work typically, your doctor will recommend that you apply these essential solutions first. Such as:
1. Physiotherapy
A physical therapist may ask you to get into the habit of doing some stretches or appropriate exercises to improve the situation by reducing the pressure in the sciatic nerve. Inside:
Stretching helps relieve sciatica by stretching the muscles in your lower back.
Get the right exercise: every step you take can make inflammation worse. Therefore, taking a short walk will not be a bad option.
A physical therapist will help you correct your posture to avoid making it worse.
2. Limit resting too much
You can lie down for a few days to relax your legs. After that, you should try to get the same movement.
3. Use hot and cold packs
Applying heat packs to your lower back can help ease some of the discomforts. Try this method with the following rule: use a cold pack for the first few days, then switch to a hot load.
4. Additional therapy
Many believe that complementary therapies such as yoga, massage, biofeedback and acupuncture can be effective treatments for sciatica.
Two main options for sciatica surgery are:
1. Discectomy
Your doctor will remove anything that is pressing on your sciatic nerve, including a herniated disc or a spine. The main purpose of this measure is to eliminate the causative agent of sciatica. However, sometimes the doctor will need to remove the entire disc to fix the root problem. It is a surgical procedure which requires general anaesthesia, and you can be discharged on the same day.
2. Cut the vertebrae
The vertebrae are part of the bone ring that covers the spinal cord. During surgery, the surgeon will remove the vertebrae and any tissue on the nerve. Similar to disc surgery, general anaesthesia is performed when the operation takes place. The surgery process can last for two hours. You may be discharged on the same day or the next day if your doctor thinks they need to monitor your condition further. Besides, you will be instructed to walk around to recover after returning home.
What are the sciatica treatments at home?
There are many different methods to relieve sciatic pain at home while your doctor tries to work to reveal the root causes of your pain. Before starting any new exercise or diet regimen, please talk with your doctor.
Yoga
Yoga therapy may be safe and beneficial for patients with non-specific low back pain or sciatica, accompanied by disc extrusions and bulges.
Proceed with caution, though. The research on yoga and sciatica is explicitly limited.
Pilates
Pilates exercises help to achieve muscles and maintain the core using low-impact, targeted exercises.
For sciatic nerve pain patients with low back compression, building muscle along the spine offers more assistance. Also, abdominal muscles in the front and sides of your body help to lengthen and support general decompression.
Eat better
You can prepare an anti-inflammatory diet. It is low in fat and sugar, which help combat sciatic pain.
When you may not see immediate pain relief, over time a well-balanced diet of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and limited processed foods may help you to get a healthy weight and low levels of inflammation in the body.
Sleep well
The research is detailed on the connection between fatigue and more intense pain. Unless you get enough rest, even the most delicate cases of sciatic nerve pain can feel worse.
Take better care of your sleep. To get a good night’s sleep, follow the ten best exercises for sleeping with sciatica, including:
- Practising good sleep hygiene
- Gaining a good sleeping position
- Choosing the best mattress