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Treatment Of Sciatica - What Really Helps

By Steve Jackson

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 13Jan2010 Word count: 744 Viewed: 854 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

If you suffer from sciatica you know the extent of the pain that inflammation of the sciatic nerve can cause. Because the sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, you can feel the pain from any inflammation of it all along the nerve, which stretches from the lower of the middle back down both legs and into the feet. Feeling pain all along its route is nothing to laugh about, but there are some things you can do to lessen the pain of sciatica.

Of course, one of the first things you must do when you feel pain is to get the pain diagnosed by your medical doctor, and follow the routine that he or she suggests, but once you know that the problem is sciatica, you can then treat it as soon as possible. As with most swelling and inflammation, ice is used to treat sciatic pain, but how do you know where to place the ice when the sciatic nerve is so long?

For most people the problem of sciatic pain starts in the lower back, with the pain just following down the nerve into the leg and foot. So, as soon as you feel the first twinges of sciatic pain, get out the icing pack, and place it on your lower back for about 10 minutes every hour or so. Yes, this is a lot of icing, but if you can reduce the inflammation and swelling before it progresses too much, then you will be in pain for less time, hopefully.

Now, obviously, you need to know what is causing your pain. If you are pregnant, then sciatica could be caused by the position of your baby which is trapping the sciatic nerve. Excess weight could cause this problem too, and herniated discs could put pressure on the sciatic nerve and give you sciatica discomfort and pain. Often this pain is said to be a burning sensation, or a dull or numb feeling, depending on what is happening to the sciatic nerve.

In cases of spondylolesthesis, life-long sciatic pain may be inevitable unless the sufferer undergoes surgery for the condition. Surgeons are not generally enthusiastic to work on back problems unless there is no alternative because of the difficulties in operating on the back. The spinal cord runs through the bony spine and through this cord nerve impulses are transmitted from the brain to all other areas of the body. Damage to the spinal cord can lead to paralysis, amongst other problems, so you can understand the surgeons reluctance to operate.

So, what can you do to relieve the pressure, and the pain of sciatica? Well, icing is recommended especially during the first 48 hours of any flare-up of sciatic pain. In the past, bed rest was recommended by the medical profession, but there have been studies which show that this is not as effective as was once thought. In fact, quite recently a Dutch study found that bed rest gave no more relief than movement.

Some doctors, in fact, now believe that staying at least a little active is beneficial, as it keeps the other muscles in the back and stomach strong.This doesn't mean that you should go to the gym for a workout when you are suffering with sciatic pain. It means that you ice regularly, and every few hours go for a short walk, provided it causes you very little pain. You do not want to make the condition any worse by aggravating the sciatic nerve, so make the walks short, but extend them over a few days, provided you can do so without aggravation.It could be a walk to the end of the street, or around the block, something that is not too far and doesn't cause more leg pain, but again, check with your doctor about what is right for you.

Some doctors do recommend specific exercises to do repeatedly throughout the day, but you need to see your doctor to see if there are any that are appropriate for your back condition that will help you and not aggravate your situation.

When you see your medical professional, they make recommend that you take some ibuprofen to help you deal with the sciatic pain as it is an anti-inflammatory, although in some cases codeine may be necessary. In rare cases injections of cortisone into the space around the sciatic nerve are used, but this is a temporary solution only, and cannot be used repeatedly.

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