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Sciatic Nerve Pain Relief: How to Treat Sciatica Nerve Pain Naturally

How to treat sciatica nerve pain? Living with chronic pain is not easy as there is no shortcut way to cure it. Sciatica pain is such a nerve pain which is a tough reality to face. It is said that sciatica pain is worse than childbirth. It is true that chronic pain does not develop overnight neither will the healing process or pain relief develops in one or two days.

So, before you find out any solution of sciatica you must know what sciatica pain is and how it is caused etc.  

What is Sciatica?

The term sciatica describes the health condition, characterized by nerve pain going downwards the leg from the lower back region.

The pain developed due to inflammation or irritation of the sciatica nerve and it may move down to the back areas of the leg and also in front of the leg.

The pain may start suddenly following daily activities like lifting heavy Weight and also after an injury. However, the nerve which is responsible for this condition is the largest and the longest nerve in the body, which is known as the sciatica nerve.

It runs from the lower back towards the lower limbs through the hip joints and thighs.

Being the longest nerve in the human body sciatica nerve travels from the top of the leg to the foot and it provides a connection to the nervous system for the total skin surface of the leg area the back part of the thigh muscles and foot region. It has been originated from the spinal nerve.

Now let us take a look on the facts about sciatica pain

  • Sciatica pain derived from irritation of the sciatica nerve.
  • We can feel the pain in the lumbar area or in the low back region to the back portion of the thigh.
  • The pain may extend below the knee area.
  • As the sciatica nerve is the largest nerve in the human body, numerous nerves combine to create the sciatica nerve in the buttock and then extended down to the legs and to the feet.

What are the Causes of Sciatica Pain

  • Sciatica pain develops when the related nerve becomes pinched under any condition. The conditions may include:
  • Herniated or ruptured disk in your spine.
  • Overgrowth of bone in vertebrae.
  • In case a tumor growth compressed the nerve.
  • If the nerve damaged by any chronic disease like diabetes.
  • Sometime during pregnancy sciatica nerve may get irritated and cause sciatica pain. 
  • Sciatica not only occurs due to pinched nerve from a disc, but it can also happen due to irritation of the nerve from the attached bone, tumors, muscles, internal bleeding, or any type of infection or injury around the lumbar spine.

Symptoms of Sciatica pain

All back pain is not sciatica pain. Usually, the pain that radiates from the lower spine to the buttock and also moves down the back of the leg area is the tread mark or indication of sciatica pain.

Anytime along the route, the pain may be felt. Usually, the affected person may feel discomfort anywhere in the nerve pathway, but in case of sciatica pain, the pain follows the route from the lower back to the hip area and back part of the thigh and calf muscle.

So let us check the signs and symptoms preciously:

  • Mild to influence lower back pain.
  • Pain increases in sitting position.
  • Pain in buttock.
  • Feeling of tingling sensation moving down leg.
  • Weakness and numbness in leg or foot. Sometimes it is difficult to move the leg.

How to Treat Sciatica Nerve Pain

Sciatica pain may be extremely serious and it can affect the movement capacity of the sufferers’.

Although sciatica is not a disease but a symptom of an underlying health issue, so it is wise to treat it from the very beginning.

Usually, sciatica pain disappears if taken bed rest for a specific time, but trying something natural treatment may give you long-lasting relief.

1. Stretching

This simple trick can help you to reduce sciatica pain by making you glutens and piriformis muscles lose and pressure-free.

In fact, the piriformis muscles lie under the gluteus muscles or buttocks and they cause inflammation in the lower back when they are tight and fatigued.

Therefore, some sorts of stretching motion may help you to feel relaxed as it makes the muscles free which has been inflamed and pressed against the sciatica nerve. Some stretching exercises are:

A) Bridging

  •  First lay on your back on yoga mat and keep your knees bent in 45 degrees.
  • Keep the feet in flat position on the floor.
  • Keep the arms by the sides.
  • Now slowly lift your hips by pushing your body against the floor with your feet until your knee, hips and shoulder come in a straight line.
  • Do it for 20 reps.

B) Sitting Pigeon Position

  • Sit down on the floor with folded knees and feet fixed on the floor.
  • Put your right ankle crossed under your knees over your left leg.
  •  Lift your chest slightly and rest on your hand at the back. Just relax in this posture.

2. Hot and Cold Compress

How to treat sciatica nerve pain with a hot and cold compress method? Treating muscle pain with alternating hot and cold therapy is an effective way to reduce inflammation.

It works instantly as cold compression can heat inflammation and heat improves blood circulation to the affected area. Hot and cold compress helps in speedy recovery by reducing the muscular spasm.

How to use

  • Apply an ice pack on the affected area for 20 minutes. Repeat this once in every hour. After that, apply heat for 20 minutes in every 2 or 3 hours.
  • Always cover your skin with towel while applying heat or cold.

ALSO READ: How to Cure Lower Back Pain Fast Naturally

3. Turmeric

It has anti-inflammatory properties and therefore it is used as a powerful home remedy for sciatica pain.

Cur-cumin which is the most vital chemical compound in turmeric takes a vital part to ease the inflamed muscles to improve oxygen and nutrients supply and thus it improves quick recovery.

How to use:-

  • Take one medium glass of milk.
  • Add one teaspoonful turmeric powder into it and boil.
  • Take this drink daily in warm condition.
  • You can add cinnamon powder for taste.

4. Vitamin or Mineral Supplement

Nutritional support with a high quantity of vitamins like vitamin B12, B6 are useful to get relief in sciatica pain.

Moreover, supplements or food enriched with minerals like magnesium is beneficial to get pain free life.

So if you want to prevent sciatic pain, include green and fresh vegetables, pulses, fruits, etc into your diet to get the maximum quantity of minerals and vitamins.

5. Fenugreek Seed

This seed is loaded with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. The seeds are useful in different ways for different health and beauty issues.

Due to the medicinal properties, it is one of the most common herbs in alternative medicine. To reduce sciatica pain fenugreek can do wonder if applied in proper ways.

 How to Use:

  • Take one or two tablespoon of fenugreek seeds,
  • Boil the seeds with milk and make it soft.
  • Now grind the boiled seeds to form a smooth paste.
  • Apply like a poultice and cover the affected are.
  • Keep it for few hours.
  • Repeat this daily to get best result.

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6. Ginger Oil

This oil contains Zingibain, which is a kind of enzyme found in the ginger rhizome. This enzyme is a potent anti-inflammatory agent and helps in nerve pain caused due to inflammation.

How to Use:

  • Take 4 to 5 drops of ginger essential oil.
  • Mix it with one spoon of carrier oil such as olive oil to make it dilute.
  • Apply the diluted oil mixture on the painful area.
  • Repeat this application twice a day until you get some relief.

7. Correct your Posture

Inappropriate sitting posture is the major cause of sciatica pain as our body posture causes extra pressure and stress on sciatic nerves and lower back muscles.

If we always keep our back portion and spine in a straight position, it will help to reduce the stress on the spinal cord.

So we must know the proper sitting posture to reduce the compression of nerves around our spines, as 5 of the nerves combined together to form sciatic nerve in each leg.  Let us check some vital points on posture.

  • Elevate your knees slightly while you sit on a chair, you can put a small tool in front of your chair.
  • Keep your spine and buttock horizontally against the chair to reduce back pain and stress.
  • Although you are fine with the right sitting posture but do not sit for a long time. It’s always suggested to stretch and walk occasionally so that your spine can move throughout the day.
  • For better support for the spine, it’s good to use an ergonomic chair in the office as you spend long working hours there.

8. Garlic

Garlic has some properties that help to reduce inflammation and pain related to sciatica. Hence, you can try garlic milk as a drink for some relief.

How to use:

  • Take 350 ml of milk and one cup of water.
  • Crush 8 to 10 garlic cloves into it and boil.
  •  Take this drink in warm condition.
  • To enhance taste you can add honey.
  • Drink it twice a day.

9. Massage

This is a popular way to get relief in any type of pain, especially in chronic muscle pain.

The tensed nerve may get relax after massage by an expert hand as it helps to reduce stress on sciatic nerves and make it free. There are different types of massage that includes:

  • Swedish massage.
  • Deep tissue massage.
  • Neuromuscular massage.
  • Hot stone massage.

10. Epsom Salt

Muscle health depends a lot on magnesium and one of the safe ways to get magnesium is bathing with Epsom salt.

This salt contains sulfate and magnesium that easily penetrate into the body through the skin pores.

 How to Use

  • Take Epsom salt and mix it in warm water.
  • Submerge your lower back into the water during the bathing time for 30 minutes.
  • Repeat the process twice a week.

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Dos and Don’ts in Sciatica Pain

The first and foremost thing about sciatica nerve pain that we need to understand is that it is not a disease, but a series of signs that combines and create physical discomforts.

In most of the cases, it happened due to a herniated disc with compression of the nerve root. The increased pressure on the nerve root causes burning, tingling, aching sensation.

In terms of back pain or sciatica care, there are some simple do and don’ts to prevent the condition from getting worse and complicated

Do’s

  • Try to improve your body posture to prevent muscle strain and to retain flexibility.
  • Practise yoga or exercise to improve muscle capacity.
  • Sleep in right posture.
  • Sometimes stretching may help you to overcome sciatica.

Don’ts

  • Always avoid sudden jerking that may hurt your back.
  • Don’t lift heavy things by bending on your back.
  • Don’t take junk food and foods with added sugar. Maintain a healthy diet, by cutting down fats and carbohydrates.
  • Don’t ignore your pain because back pain and sciatica may be the root of a disc issue.
  • Don’t stop your normal activities if you are suffering from back pain. You have to keep moving always.
  • Don’t sit n the same posture all the time.

In conclusion we can say that sciatica pain relief involved a series of remedies which you have to follow patiently. 

You may get sudden relief easily, but to get long-lasting results all you need is to follow the routine perfectly.

Treating sciatica pain with home remedies like hot and ice packs, massage, exercise is easy and cost-effective, but you must consult a doctor in the case of complication and severe pain.

Dr Maria

MD. Board Certified physician. Fellowship In Family Medicine UK. 8 years of medical experience in Lifestyle-related health disorders. Graduated from AIIMS – All India Institute Of Medical Science, INDIA

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