Sciatica
is a term which describes the pain that affects the back, hip, and outer side
of the leg and is caused when the sciatic nerve is compressed or irritated.
Usually, it is followed by numbness and a tingling sensation and it is often
the reason why you stay in bed and take some painkillers. Sciatic nerve is the
largest nerve in the human body and it runs down each leg from the lower spine
all the way to the feet, providing movement, sensation, and strength to each
leg.
The
most common sciatica symptoms include: sharp painful sensations and cramping.
Often, these symptoms are accompanied by tingling sensations and numbness in
various areas of the buttock, leg or foot. Generally, sciatica occurs on one
side or another, not in both legs simultaneously.
Moreover,
sciatica is frequently caused by a herniated or slipped disc. Also, it can
occur as a result of spinal injury or infection, degenerative disc disease,
spinal stenosis, isthmic spondylolisthesis, pregnancy and piriformis syndrome.
There are a number of conventional treatments for treating sciatica, but these
relieve the pain temporarily. Also, most steroid injections can have serious
side effects. Therefore, you can use certain home remedies and natural
therapies which can effectively reduce inflammation and pressure on the
irritated sciatic nerve. Note: the pain goes away with time (around 6 weeks)
and proper rest.
Natural Remedies to Treat Sciatica
Hot/Cold Compresses
These
compresses can effectively reduce sciatica pain and inflammation. Heat
treatment has the ability to alleviate sciatica pain and reduce inflammation.
Heat treatment relaxes the muscles that may be compressing the sciatic nerve.
The cold treatment reduces swelling around the nerve and relieves pain. Also,
you can alternate heat and cold, beginning with the hot compress and ending
with the cold compress. In the hot treatment you should use steamed towel.
Place the hot or cold pack on the affected area for 15-20 minutes. Repeat the
procedure every few hours until you get relief.
Arnica
Apply
it on the painful area each time you feel pain.
Bark
Willow
bark is effective in treating long-lasting pain. It is rich in phenolic
glycosides with allicin which provide anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.
Add
50 grams of bark in 1 liter of water and leave it overnight. The next day, boil
it for 15 minutes and then let it cool. Pour it in a glass container. Consume 3
cups of the drink on daily basis.
Turmeric
Turmeric
has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and therefore it is great for treating
sciatica. Curcumin found in turmeric can reduce nerve pain and inflammation.
All you need to do is add 1 teaspoon of turmeric in 1 cup of milk. Also, you
can add a small cinnamon stick. Boil the mixture. Sweeten it with honey and
consume once or twice a day until the pain goes away. Note: people who take
blood thinners or diabetes medications should avoid using turmeric. Also, it is
not recommended for people with gallstones.
Source
: healthyfoodteam.com