1 Nov 2021 What You Need To Know About Sciatica Symptoms and Treatment
What Is Sciatica or Sciatic Pain?
The sciatic is a bundle of nerves found in the lowest part of the spine that control your lower extremities. Sciatica or sciatic pain usually affects only one side of the body; rarely does it occur in both sides.If you have sciatica, you might feel it in your back, buttocks, hips, thighs, knees, feet, or heels.This pain can be mild, moderate, or severe; can feel like a radiating or throbbing pain, or even a sharp, burning pain.
What Causes Sciatica?
Things that can cause sciatic are injuries to the discs, stenosis, obesity, and piriformis syndrome, which is a spasming of the buttocks muscles that happens in only 8% of people. Occasionally, even pregnancy can cause sciatic-like pain.Sometimes, it can be caused just from sitting down all the time. This loads up your lumbar spine, creating pressure. Sciatica can cause leg numbness, pins and needles, a burning sensation, foot numbness, limping, can cause muscle weakness in the knee or the ankle. Three million people suffer from sciatic pain.
Sciatica Treatment Options
Use ice or heat to relieve the pain.Do some physical exercise that doesn’t irritate the nerve. “No pain, no gain” is NOT the goal here. You don’t want to take something that’s hot and irritated, and make it hotter and more irritated by stretching it. Gentle exercises that don’t irritate the nerve are best.Sleep with a pillow between your knees, or under your knees while lying flat.Use traction to the low back to help decompress if the pain is caused by a disc.Take anti-inflammatories, but go as natural as possible. You can use things like turmeric, arnica, Traumeel, bromelain, or curcumin with ginger. Essential fatty acids, like Omega-3, are very useful for reducing the inflammation of sciatic pain.