subject: Sciatica Pain Relief [print this page] Pain from sciatic nerve irritation is frequently severe and debilitating. While numerous different things can cause irritation of the sciatic nerve, the most common causes are disc protrusion and abnormal contraction of the piriformis muscle. Fortunately, for the most part cases of sciatica pain can be managed without having to undergo surgical treatment. Actually, the majority of cases can be treated with straightforward home exercises and other self-care methods.
Protruding discs, also called bulging or herniated disks, can result after serious injuries to the body such as an vehicle accident, or from recurring damage over a long time period such as years of sitting in a slouched position or from bending and lifting activities. In extreme cases, disc protrusions can progress to extrusions - full spinal disc ruptures. Disc ruptures typically create very severe incapacitating symptoms that can leave even the toughest person more or less debilitated. Protruded or extruded discs can produce sciatic nerve pain by directly placing pressure on the nerve, but may also cause inflammatory swelling around the nerve which can increase compression and irritation. Based on the location and magnitude of nerve compression, symptoms of sciatic nerve pain can reach anywhere from the buttock to the foot.
Exercises to help reduce intervertebral disc bulging and anti-inflammatory treatments like cold packs and medicine will usually be successful in relieving sciatic nerve pain. Certain sciatica exercises are not suitable for cases of disk protrusion though, so it is crucial to carefully choose the appropriate self-treatment techniques. As an example, the yoga pose known as downward dog may help with sciatica from muscle contraction, but may increase disk bulging and increase disc-related sciatic nerve pain. Though a lot of people are inclined to apply hot packs when suffering with sciatica, heat tends to add to inflammation and will usually increase and/or prolong sciatica symptoms. Ice put on the low back for 15 to 20 minutes at a time as much as every few hours will help reduce inflammatory swelling and usually provide significantly better results than heat.
Tightening of the piriformis muscle can create sciatica and is commonly produced by extended periods of sitting, or from unusually exertive activities involving the hip joint, as in long distance running or bicycling. The location of the piriformis relative to the sciatic nerve differs from one person to the next. In cases where the muscle runs across the top of the sciatic nerve, or when the nerve passes through the center of the muscle, piriformis tightening can easily result in sciatica symptoms. In these cases, excessive contraction of the muscle can place pressure on the sciatic nerve adequately to create pain and other symptoms. Stretching exercises and deep massage of the piriformis muscle will often alleviate sciatic nerve pain due to muscle contraction.
Though sciatica pain can be excruciating, the majority of sufferers can get pain relief without requiring surgical intervention. Symptom relief can generally be achieved within a few days to a few weeks with straightforward exercises and self treatment strategies once the underlying causes have been recognized and the right remedies are applied.
