There you are, going about your business and living your life, when suddenly a lightning bolt shoots through your lower back and your legs. At least, that’s what it feels like. This sharp pain is most likely a condition that many of us will have at some point in life: sciatica.
In a nutshell, sciatica occurs when something compresses your sciatic nerve in your lower back. There are many potential causes, from a herniated disc near the nerve to spinal stenosis: a condition which gradually narrows the space around your spinal cord. Sciatica is common in case of people who work long hours. Hence its important to choose the right chairs for work. Chairthrone has several chairs that help in preventing sciatica pain.
If you’re feeling the pain of sciatica, you don’t have to suffer in silence. These treatments may be able to help, depending on the cause of your sciatica.
1. Anti-Inflammatory Medications
Part of the problem with sciatica is that the compression causes your sciatic nerve to become inflamed. Easing the inflammation can reduce your pain. One easy way to do this is by taking anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen.
To make it even more effective, you can change some of your other health habits to reduce your body’s inflammation overall. For instance, try an anti-inflammatory diet and find ways to reduce the stress in your life.
2. Cold Packs
Speaking of inflammation, have you ever wondered why ice packs reduce pain from so many different injuries? It’s because the cold temperatures reduce inflammation in the area.
For that reason, cold packs often help sciatica too. Put the cold pack on your lower back for up to 20 minutes at a time and do this as needed or a few times per day. Be sure not to put the cold pack directly on your skin. Have clothing or a towel on the cold pack.
3. Physiotherapy
While many sciatica treatments are aimed at reducing pain and inflammation, people who treat their sciatica with Scarborough Physiotherapy services are getting to the root of the problem.
Depending on what is causing your sciatica, physical therapy may be able to relieve some of the pressure on your sciatic nerve. According to Willowdale Physiotherapy services, If the problem is a misalignment or a muscular issue, your physiotherapist may also be able to give you stretches to do or posture correction to help you prevent further symptoms.
4. Acupuncture
All the needle-phobes may be panicking, but acupuncture is easier and more relaxing than you think.
During acupuncture for pain relief, a therapist places tiny needles at various pressure points in your body. This triggers a reaction that releases endorphins to reduce pain, and it can decrease inflammation as well.
The results last far longer than your treatment session, but you will need repeated maintenance sessions to maintain your results.
5. Pain Management Injections
With the well-known opiate epidemic today, doctors are more and more hesitant to prescribe addictive pain medications. They don’t want to replace anyone’s sciatica with a drug addiction.
One of the alternative pain relief methods that has become common is using injections. There are different types of injections that work in different ways. For instance, steroid injections reduce inflammation while nerve blockers prevent the nerves from sending pain signals.
For sciatica, your doctor would inject the medication of choice into your lower back to target the sciatic nerve. The results typically last several weeks at a time.
6. Surgery
When it comes to sciatica, surgery is considered a last result. Only a small percentage of people with sciatica have pain that is severe enough and persistent enough to warrant surgery.
The surgery itself will depend on the cause behind your sciatica. In general, the goal is to remove whatever it is that is putting pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Living Your Life Free from Sciatica
There’s no doubt about it: sciatica is a painful condition and sometimes it’s painful enough to prevent you from living your life to the fullest. The treatment options above can help you get back your freedom.
