Wednesday, 24 July 2019

How To Stop Pain In Sciatic Nerve?

From demotix.com

Before we get into the topic on how to stop pain in the sciatic nerve, it’s important to know why it hurts. If you have a bone spur or maybe a slipped disk, either of those can press on the sciatic nerve. This means you have sciatica. Sciatica’s symptoms include burning sensation, numbness, weakness or pain. Some say it feels like needles while others say it feels like a quick electric shock passes through your leg.
If you are sure this is what you are suffering from then follow these tips to try and reduce or completely remove the pain.

1.    Let time heal it

                                                                     From citrinchiropractic.com

This is not the best remedy most people want to hear while they are in pain, but it actually works. Waiting it out has proven to be the best treatment for sciatic nerve pain. About 85-95% of people get much better within days or weeks.

2.    More movement

                                                              From  WebMD.com

Don’t try to help yourself by sparing your leg from movement. On the contrary, keep moving since resting can cause your muscles to weaken which might become more painful to your sciatic nerve. If the pain is bearable, try stretching, going for a walk or maybe even a run. Don’t miss out on physical activities and keep your body moving.

Make sure you are doing lower back stretches because that is probably where the sciatic nerve is pinched.

3.    Try hot or cold

Hot and cold may help with sciatica. Cold is usually best for a recent injuries while heat is recommended after about 72 hours of the injury. No reason not to try both since it’s perfectly safe. Hold an ice pack in the morning for about 10-15 minutes and at night a heating pad for about 10-15 minutes.

4.    Try pain relief medications

                                                                    From  WebMD.com

Medications like naproxen or ibuprofen can bring down inflammation or may help you with your pain. Don’t take more doses than the recommended unless you get a doctor’s approval.
If you want to find more ways how to stop your sciatica pain, you can find out more at healthlvl.

5.    Prescription drugs

If none of these home remedies are helping you, then make sure to talk to your doctor. There is a variety of prescription medications, like muscle relaxers that might make you feel much better.

6.    Physical therapist

                                                                      From health.com

Physical therapy can help strengthen the muscles that support your lower back and might correct your bad posture. The physical therapist will give you a list of stretching techniques that you can do at home. Make sure to follow the instructions properly and not hurt yourself during the process.

7.    Try acupuncture

                                                               From  WebMD.com

This alternative medicine practice is starting to get popular even with Western doctors. Research shows that this Chinese medicine might work even better than traditional medicine for back pain.

8.    Try a massage


                                                                    From spineuniverse.com

A professional massage is not just about relaxation. Massage therapy can ease pain and might improve how well you can move your body or in this situation your lower back. It also gets the blood flowing which helps your body to heal faster.

These are the tips we think might completely heal your sciatica or at least help relieve the pain.



Wednesday, 17 July 2019

Problem-solving stretches: How to slacken hip tension to release sciatic pain

From gazettenet.com
By Ginny Hamilton

School let out early last month, so my kiddo and I snuck in an extra visit to Grammy and Poppy. It’s a long way to Western Virginia — 11 hours — but an easy journey via Amtrak, especially since my kid still loves trains. When he was little, we’d walk the aisles multiple times each trip, sometimes finding an empty car to serve as a jungle gym. Now that he’s hit double digits, we spent most of the day in our seats, each deep in our own chapter book — quite different than traveling with a little kid.

My body did not like the difference. Because I sat — no, let’s be honest — I lounged. Curled into the seat with my legs and hips tucked under me. When I did get up for a snack or bathroom break, I could feel the stiffness in my body. Ugh. I should know better! Apparently, I can no longer rely on kid wiggles to get me moving. The resulting sharp pain in my rear was no fun.

Sciatica. The word makes us tense. The condition is named for the sciatic nerve which runs from the vertebrae in our low back and sacrum, down each leg, sending signals to our legs and feet.
When we sit with our hips tucked under, sitting on the flesh of our buttocks rather than with our pelvis upright, we put pressure on our sciatic nerves and the muscles that surround them. These muscles are designed mainly to rotate our hips, not hold our full weight. When we use them as seat cushions, they tense up. And this tension can squeeze the sciatic nerve.

Some people feel sciatica as a deep ache in the buttocks. Others experience a sleeve of discomfort around the thigh. And still others feel a sharp shooting pain down the back of the leg. Regardless of where and how sciatica strikes, releasing the hold from the hip rotator muscles can bring ease. Here are two simple ways to do just that — gentle stretching and muscle slackening.

Any cross body twist will stretch your outer hip muscles. Sit with one knee crossed over the other and turn slightly toward the top leg until you feel a gentle stretch in the outer hip on that side.
STAFF PHOTOS/KEVIN GUTTING 

Stretch your outer hip muscles with a gentle twist. Any cross body twist will do this: sit with one knee crossed over the other and turn slightly toward the top leg until you feel a gentle stretch in the outer hip on that side. If you feel no stretch at all from sitting cross legged, try bringing your top leg farther across your body. It also works to lie on your back and bring one knee across toward the floor on the opposite side. Stretch gently for 30 seconds to one minute on each side 5-6 times each day.

Slacken your hip rotator muscles in Half Frog position, then lie on your belly with one knee out to the side, bent at a right angle, and supported by a pillow or pillows. Support your whole leg with the pillows, don’t have your foot or shin hanging off or a gap at your groin. Otherwise, the muscles will have to work to support your leg, and working muscles can’t slacken.

There should be no pain in this position. If you feel pain, adjust your knee toward your body or away, until you find a comfy spot. You can also raise or lower the height of your leg by adding or removing pillows. Over time, you’ll learn the “just right” spot for your body.

Let your body rest facing down, not turned toward the raised leg. You can rest your forehead on your hands or turn your head toward your raised knee. Stay in this relaxed, supported position for at least 2 minutes, allowing the muscle tension in your hip to slacken.
To come out of the position, slowly straighten your bent leg, sliding it off the pillows and down beside the other leg. Then switch sides.


Pain Specialist Ginny Hamilton studied Integrated Positional Therapy (IPT) with its founder, Lee Albert at the Kripalu Center in Lenox, MA. A certified yoga instructor and Reiki Master Teacher, Hamilton offers classes and private sessions in Amherst, Hadley, and South Hadley. Contact her at: ginny@ginnyhamilton.com