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A Complete Guide to Sciatic Pain Treatment

Sciatica is a medical condition in which the sciatic nerve, which originates from the lower spine and runs down to your feet, gets pinched. This causes intense pain in the lower back and in the legs.

A pinched sciatic nerve may be the result of a herniated disc, a narrowing of the spinal canal, muscle spasms in the buttock, a breakdown of the disc, or an injury.

Heat or ice to relieve the pain
Applying an ice pack or heat pack to the legs relieves the pain to some extent, especially in the initial stages of sciatic pain treatment. The packs should be used for around 20 minutes with a two-hour interval between sessions. Take care not to apply ice directly to the skin as it may cause ice burns. Heat and ice packs may also be alternated.

Pain medication

Anti-inflammatories
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (or NSAIDs) are used to reduce inflammation and pain. These drugs are easily available without a prescription. Naproxen is one such drug that dulls the chemical signals in the sciatic nerve that cause inflammation.
Another NSAID commonly used is Ibuprofen. It works on the same principle as that of Naproxen. It must be noted that both these medications come with side effects. Don’t take them if you have problems associated with your stomach, liver, or kidney.

Muscle relaxants
These are the medications that have a sedative effect and help deal with pain. They act on the muscles of the legs and help them relax. However, the prolonged use of muscle relaxants may render them ineffective, i.e., you may have to shift to a new course of medication. Cyclobenzaprine, which is sold under the brand name Flexeril and Tizanidine by Zanaflex, is one of the more commonly prescribed relaxants for sciatic pain treatment.

Narcotics
In severe cases where none of the other medications or sciatic pain treatments relieve pain, narcotics, i.e., sleep-inducing drugs, may be administered for relief. Codeine, morphine, and vicodin are the usual drugs that are prescribed for sciatic pain treatment.

Tricyclic antidepressants
Desipramine (Norpramin) and doxepin (Silenor) in low doses increase the intensity of chemical signals that influence how the brain perceives pain.

Anti-seizure medications
These medications are usually prescribed to treat epilepsy. Since they interfere with pain signals, they can have a calming effect on the nerves for effective sciatic pain treatment.

Physical Sciatic Pain Treatment

Exercises
Stretching exercises improve the flexibility of the hip bone and help ease the pain. Staying active is actually a better idea than taking bed rest, even though you may not want to move an inch.

Yoga
Practicing simple yoga helps you strengthen your muscles and improving flexibility. It ensures that the spine does not endure any further injuries.
Acupuncture: This is one of the unconventional techniques you can try for managing the pain.

Chiropractic care
A chiropractor makes adjustments to the vertebra to restore flexibility, and enable free movement of the back and the legs

Ultrasound
Ultrasound waves generate heat that penetrates into the tissues, reduces the pain in the muscles, and soothes the nerves.

Massage
A numbness in the legs and pain may be caused by the tightness of muscles around the sciatic nerve. Massage meant to relieve this tightness is focused on certain vital points in the lower back and the legs. Such treatment is highly effective for sciatic pain.

Corticosteroid injection
In cases where nothing else helps ease the pain, epidural steroid injections offer relief. These are administered via X-ray injections. Steroids reduce inflammation in the affected area. However, the effect of this treatment wears off within a few months. Do not go for these too frequently as there are many side effects associated with steroid use.

Surgery
In cases where sciatica is caused due to a herniated disc, the part of the disc pinching the nerve is removed using microdiscectomy. Surgery is an option only if the pain doesn’t subside even after four to six weeks of using medication and other methods. This is a relatively surefire option for relief from sciatic pain; the treatment has a longer lasting effect.

If you are suffering from sciatic pain, you should take care not to hurt your spine any further. Ensure that you don’t sit on sofas, bend backward or lift heavy weights. If you have excess weight around the abdomen, it puts pressure on the spine. Hence, it is always advisable to shed some weight, taking care not to exert yourself too much. A sedentary lifestyle and jobs requiring you to sit on a chair for too long may exacerbate the condition.

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