subject: How to Cure Sciatica Back Pain [print this page] How to Cure Sciatica Back Pain How to Cure Sciatica Back Pain
How to cure sciatica back pain
Sciatica is the name given to the condition which arises as a result of injury to the sciatic nerve. This can happen as a result of a herniated intervertebral disc protruding on to the nerve, or due to tightening of the piriformis or hamstring muscles in the thigh and buttocks. The nerve itself starts in the lower back, goes through the thighs and buttocks, and into the back of one of the legs, right upto the foot and toes. The condition results in excruciating pain in the lower back, and also in the leg which experiences shooting pain from time to time. It is however, not a very life-threatening condition and can be cured within a couple of weeks by applying certain home treatments.
The immediate step to be taken is to ease the pain. This is normally done by applying Oil of wintergreen or St. John's wort oil or evening primrose oil over the affected area after opening the pores of the skin with the help of a hot water bag.Once the oil is absorbed into the skin, a certain amount of relief follows. Thereafter, the person can be guided through some very mild exercises which aim at stretching the muscles of the back and thighs.
The main requirement is that there should be movement of the limbs in order to release the pressure on the nerve, and this is achieved by the simple exercises formulated specially for sciatica. Walking or swimming, if the person feels capable of it, will also help. Exercise also helps in strengthening the muscles of the back and abdomen, so that future occurrences of sciatica are minimized.
Pain relief can also be brought about by applying poultices of various items, such as horse-radish (to be applied for one hour minimum) or mustard seeds (10 minutes maximum) or crushed flaxseed dipped in hot water before applying.
Vitamin B or Thiamine is a good nerve relaxant. Either supplements of this vitamin can be taken, or the diet should additionally include foods rich in this vitamin, such as green peas, bananas, pork, liver, beef, green leafy vegetables, lentils, nuts and beans.
Some juices also have a soothing action on the nerves. Examples are celery leaf juice combined with potato juice 10 ounces per day. Some carrot juice and beetroot juice can also be added for nutrition and flavour. Elderberry juice is also considered good for the nerves.
Elderberry tea or chamomile tea, if taken throughout the day in small amounts, can soothe the pain to some extent.
Overall, the health of the person needs to improve, by having a balanced diet; improving the posture is also of prime importance, since poor posture results in misalignment of the spinal column and imbalanced muscles.If care is taken to follow the simple methods outlined above, there is no reason why the pain from sciatica should remain for more than a couple of weeks.
