From theworldbeast.com
Introduction
Sciatica pain can be very debilitating. It can cause sharp shooting pain, significantly affecting your ability to enjoy life fully. Sciatica can also cause tingling or numbness that may radiate down your leg. It can seriously affect your daily activities, such as standing, sitting, or sleeping. The constant soreness and intermittent pain can range from a warm, wet feeling in your thigh to shooting pain in your legs. As the symptoms may arise without any prior warning, getting treated as soon as possible is a brilliant idea.
Causes Of Sciatica Pain
Sciatica can be caused due to several medical conditions. Let’s have a look at some common causes of sciatica pain.
Herniated Disc
A herniated disc, or a slipped disc, can cause pressure on your nerve root. One of the most common causes of sciatica is herniated discs. It is said that around 5% of people living in the US will suffer from a herniated disc at one point in their life. The disc acts as a cushioning pad between each spine and the vertebrae. So, any pressure from vertebrae can lead to a gel-like center in the disc herniating through a weakness in its outer wall. It can cause strain on the sciatica nerve, causing pain.
Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis refers to the narrowing of your spinal canal. The abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal reduces the available space of the spinal cord and the nerves and thus causes pain.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis in your spine can cause damage to the disc and the cartilage between the spinal column’s bones. The worsening of the damage may irritate the sciatica nerve and thus cause pain and inflammation.
Spondylolisthesis
It is a slippage of one of the vertebrae, which makes it go out of line with the one above it. It causes the narrowing of the opening through which the nerve exits. The extension of the spinal bone can pinch the sciatica nerve.
5 Natural Remedies For Relieving Sciatica Pain
The primary goal of treating sciatica pain is to reduce the pain and increase your mobility. The treatment of sciatica pain is mostly dependent on the cause of the pain. There are various causes that can be easily treated with natural remedies without the use of harmful medication or surgical procedures.
Let’s have a look at some of the effective natural remedies to relieve sciatica pain:
Applying hot or ice packs
Firstly you must use ice packs to reduce the pain and swelling. You can wrap ice packs or a bag of frozen vegetables in a towel and apply it to the affected area. Apply the same for 20 minutes at a stretch several times a day. Apply hot packs also for 20 minutes at a stretch. You can switch to applying hot packs after the first couple of days. If you still experience the pain, switch between hot and ice packs and see whichever provides better results.
Reducing inflammation with nutrition
It is very effective to take a diet that includes whole grains, natural foods, nuts, fruits, vegetables, soluble and insoluble fibre, fatty fish, etc., to reduce inflammation. Turmeric, ginger, green tea, and black tea are some of the most potent sources of anti-inflammatory substances that can boost your immunity and thus improve your overall health.
Building more micronutrients
Supplements are beneficial for building up micronutrients in your body, as a regular diet fails to provide those essential nutrients. Some important micronutrients are Vitamin D, Magnesium, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, Zinc, Folic acid, etc.
These micronutrients are beneficial in suppressing inflammatory mediators and thus reduce the overall inflammatory process. This group of vitamins helps in boosting up your neurological health and helps in the reduction of sciatica pain.
Physical Therapy
The main goal of physical therapy is to provide a combination of various exercises and therapies for faster and long-lasting relief from sciatica and inflammation. Various specific exercises can be beneficial for reducing the pressure on the sciatica nerve. The exercise program usually includes stretching and strengthening exercises to improve muscle strength and flexibility.
Various aerobic exercises such as swimming, walking, and water aerobics can be beneficial for reducing sciatica and inflammation. A trained and licensed physical therapist can be very helpful in designing a customised treatment plan, including exercises and therapies, depending on the cause of the pain, to strengthen the muscles of your back, legs, and abdomen, thus providing relief.
Alternative Therapies
Alternative therapies for sciatica pain relief include spinal manipulation, yoga, acupuncture, etc., by a licensed therapist to reduce muscle spasms and sciatica pain and inflammation.
Final Words
Sciatica pain can cause various disruptions in the life of a person. It can also be prevented in various ways, such as maintaining good posture, a healthy weight, regular exercise, etc. The good news is that if you suffer from sciatica pain, it usually goes away on its own and through self-care. Natural remedies can always be beneficial for providing long-lasting relief from sciatica pain. A trained and experienced physical therapist can be very helpful in providing proper guidance to get faster relief from sciatica pain and inflammation and prevent it from occurring again.
No comments:
Post a Comment