Sciatica is undoubtedly a scary and painful condition. Don’t we all have a relative who constantly goes for yoga due to this painful issue? If you’ve ever experienced its pain, you must know how bad it can get. Many people think surgical treatment is essential, but that’s not the case.
Most cases of sciatica don’t require intervention and healing on their own. But, if it gets severe or the pain gets unbearable, various treatment options help you heal faster.
So, do you want to know the non-surgical ways to treat sciatica nerve pain at home? Then keep on reading.
Here we will have a detailed look on:
- What is Sciatica?
- Symptoms
- How to Relief Sciatica Pain
- Try the Temperature Therapy
- Daily Exercises
- Try Physical Therapies
- Meditation and Yoga
- Take Adequate Rest
- Walk a Little
- Take Some OTC Medicines
- SUPMOGO Regenerative Wearable Belt
- When to See a Doctor?
What is Sciatica?
We have a long nerve in our body called the sciatic nerve. Sciatica is the pain and tingling sensation that’s felt along the path of that nerve. It can be due to many reasons, including nerve injury, added pressure, or irritation.
As the nerve travels from the lumbar region to the hips and legs, pain radiates in those areas. The discomfort usually forms a tingling or burning sensation, making it challenging to sit in specific positions or move freely.
Symptoms
Some of the symptoms of sciatica include:
- Pain in the buttocks, hips, and legs
- Numbness in the nerve region
- Discomfort while moving
- Pinching sensation in back and legs
How to Relief Sciatica Pain
In most cases, sciatica pain can be managed by non-surgical treatments and occupational therapies. It is because surgery is the last stage of treating the condition, and it comes with various risks and side effects.
Around 90% of the cases can be treated using pain relief methods like meditation, painkillers, and acupuncture. These methods are relatively safe and don’t pose a risk to the body.
Some of the non-surgical remedies for sciatica nerve pain relief include:
1. Try the Temperature Therapy
If you want immediate relief for sciatica pain, then trying one of the old and effective pain managing techniques, i.e., temperature therapy, can prove fruitful. The hot and cold treatment is a great way to numb the pain and decrease the sensation of discomfort from specific areas of the body.
All you have to do is to take an ice pack, wrap it in the towel and apply it to the affected area for 15 minutes after every hour. The ice will numb the area and decrease the pain. Then take a warm water bottle and put it in the same area for 15 minutes; repeat after every 2 to 3 hours.
The warmth will increase and regulate the blood flow in the lumbar region. The combined hot and cold therapy will decrease sciatica pain, regulate the blood vessels, and improve blood flow to the affected region.
2. Daily Exercises
Going for daily exercises might seem counterproductive for sciatica pain relief, but it’s essential to lessen the pain. In addition, sciatica pain relief exercises will increase mobility, lift pressure off the damaged nerve and give you a chance to improve your overall health.
Stretches are another great way to decrease the discomfort caused by sciatica. The best part? You don’t have to go anywhere; you can do stretches and light exercises in your bedroom.
One movement for instant sciatica pain relief that will almost always provide relief is the knee-to-chest pose. You can do this by lying straight on your back and extending your legs. Then bring your knees towards the chest and grab them with both hands. Hold this pose for a few seconds and repeat.
This pose is popular among sciatica patients as it’s easy and effective. However, you can also try other stretches like a hamstring stretch, cat-cow pose, etc.
3. Try Physical Therapies
Relieving sciatica pain can become a struggle, especially if the pain becomes extreme.
In such a case, you can opt for physical therapies or contact professionals to help you deal with the pain. In addition, there’s a dedicated massage for sciatica nerve pain relief that targets the nerve and helps decrease inflammation in the area.
Apart from that, you can also opt for acupuncture for sciatica nerve pain relief. According to a pilot study, acupuncture is an effective way to deal with sciatica pain which doesn’t have any side effects, unlike medication.[1]
Acupuncture decreases pain sensation, improves blood flow, and loosens the muscles of the affected area. So, acupuncture can be a great option if you want non-surgical pain relief for sciatica.
4. Meditation and Yoga
According to a study, yoga and meditation are great ways to lessen the pain caused by sciatica.[2] In addition, breathing exercises, hypnosis therapy, and other mind-numbing techniques can help decrease the perception of pain in patients.
However, one thing to remember is that these techniques will provide temporary relief and help as long as you do them regularly. Nonetheless, yoga is a great way to heal and help your body.
Some yoga poses for sciatica nerve pain relief include:
- Cobra pose
- Child’s pose
- Reclined pigeon pose
- Downward facing dog
5. Take Adequate Rest
If you suffer from sciatica nerve pain, you must know how painful it can get. Therefore, even though staying active and taking part in pain-relieving techniques is helpful, you can’t ignore the importance of taking adequate rest every day.
If the stinging pain doesn't let you lay comfortably, you can try changing the position, using a knee pillow, or sleeping on specific surfaces to remove the pressure from the nerve. But never forget to take proper rest. Rest will help you heal faster and decrease the inflammation and pain in the body.[3]
6. Walk a Little
If doing exercises or taking part in regular yoga sessions seems too much for you, another way to heal the sciatica nerve pain is to go for regular walks.
It isn’t necessary to walk a lot or for too long. You can opt for small and light walks, but keeping the body active and mobile will help deal with the discomfort.
7. Take Some OTC Medicines
Another non-surgical way to deal with sciatica pain is to take over-the-counter medicines to relieve the stabbing pain. Unfortunately, sciatica is a painful condition, and most of the time, the patient can’t deal with the discomfort without some painkillers.
Therefore, talk to your doctor and take some tablets to help numb the pain and get a good night’s sleep.
Another thing to remember is to never take medication without your doctor’s prescription and advice. Different painkillers have various side effects; taking them without knowledge can worsen the condition rather than aid in pain relief.
8. SUPMOGO RecoveryFlex System Belt
If the sciatica pain is in the lumbar region, another great non-surgical option is to use the SUPMOGO RecoveryFlex System Belt. This belt is a fantastic pain-relieving and core-strengthening tool showing fast results.
It works in sync with your body’s natural healing process and speeds up recovery. If the sciatica nerve pain gets out of hand, you won’t regret investing in the SUPMOGO Fitness Belt.
The belt works on ATT (Advanced Targeting Technology) and exercises the deepest layer of your tissues to help regenerate and strengthen the back and abdomen.
Try it yourself, and we are sure SUPMOGO Back Pain Relief Belt will become an integral part of your sciatica pain relief journey.
Also Read: Tossing and Turning While Sleeping Due to Back Pain? Turn Your Pain into Power.
When to See a Doctor?
If you want to know how to cure sciatica permanently, then the best option is to contact your physician. Sciatica pain treatment medicine like painkillers and other therapy options work, but they require time and effort. Additionally, these don’t guarantee that the pain will be gone forever.
So, if you get severe pain in your back and legs, your doctor may advise other treatment options like spinal injections or even surgery to deal with the issue.[4] If occupational therapies are not working, you should take things further and look at other options.
Conclusion
Sciatica is a painful condition, but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer from discomfort all your life. You can try home remedies and treatment options mentioned above to ensure a speedy recovery.
However, if your doctor thinks surgery is important, even then, don't worry and go for it.
Good luck!
[1] Liu, C. H., Kung, Y. Y., Lin, C. L., Yang, J. L., Wu, T. P., Lin, H. C., ... & Chen, F. P. (2019). Therapeutic efficacy and the impact of the “Dose” effect of acupuncture to treat sciatica: a randomized controlled pilot study. Journal of Pain Research, 12, 3511.
[2] Bernstein, I. A., Malik, Q., Carville, S., & Ward, S. (2017). Low back pain and sciatica: summary of NICE guidance. Bmj, 356.
[3] Valat, J. P., Genevay, S., Marty, M., Rozenberg, S., & Koes, B. (2010). Sciatica. Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology, 24(2), 241-252.
[4] Freiberg, A. H. (1937). Sciatic pain and its relief by operations on muscle and fascia. Archives of Surgery, 34(2), 337-350.