Curing Sciatica

Sciatica is a very painful and debilitating condition and anyone who is afflicted with it will be looking for an instant cure. The normal instinct is to lie down and rest and take a bucket load of pain killers, but this is not the best solution to curing sciatica.

Rest may help in the short term to reduce the inflammation of the sciatic nerve, but any extended period of rest, say more than a couple of days, could make the situation worse by weakening the muscles that support the spine.

Pain killers and analgesics only mask the pain of sciatica and while it is OK to take them when you are in a great deal of pain; they are not curing your sciatica. Some medications such as ibuprofen also help to reduce the inflammation of the sciatic nerve, but they do come with the danger of causing stomach and liver problems, if taken excessively or not as directed.

Heat and ice are very useful aids in the cure of sciatica. Applying cold or ice packs to your lower back will relieve the pain and help reduce the inflammation of the sciatic nerve and the surrounding muscles. Hot packs, or even hot baths, will also reduce the pain and increase the blood flow in the area, which aids recovery.

Topographical medications normally come in the form of creams that are applied to the painful area. They usually produce heat and have the same effect as hot packs, but the application of them can also provide the benefits of massage, which can also help relieve the pain.

Physiotherapists, Chiropractors and Osteopaths. These health professionals use a combination of massage and bone manipulation to treat and try to cure sciatica. There is no doubt that they can provide some temporary relief and even a short term cure. But unless the underlying problem is fixed, or the muscles that support the spine are strengthened, you can be sure that sciatica will be back and you will be making more visits to your bone cracker of choice.

Stretching treatment and exercise. This I have found to be the best long term cure for sciatica. Stretching exercises that address the Hamstrings, Piriformis and lower back muscles increase their flexibility and relieve the pain of tight muscles. As the tightness of the muscles is reduced, less pressure is applied to the sciatic nerve and the pain will be gone. A long term commitment to stretching and other low impact aerobic exercise will increase the strength of the core muscles that support the spine and greatly reduce the chances of you suffering sciatica again.

The types of exercise which are best for improving the condition of your back are Yoga, Pilates, walking, swimming and stationary bike riding.

Other options. Some people find that acupuncture can relieve the pain of sciatica, personally this never worked for me. In extreme cases surgery will be recommended to fix any underlying problem with the spine. But recent studies have discovered that those who have been through the trauma of surgery often suffer with back pain again 2-3 years later.

It is worth noting, that either a tumor or a blood clot could be the underlying cause of sciatica. For this reason you should always get a doctor's diagnosis in the first instance. Because, on the rare occasions that this is the case, urgent medical attention would be required.