Sciatic Treatment: What You Can Do
Anyone familiar with sciatic pain knows how disabling it is, and how difficult it can be to find relief. The burning, the numbness, the pins-and-needles sensations, and the weakness can be treated with one of several medical interventions. But is there anything else you can do at home? If you need some relief right now, consider a few sciatica treatments you can implement yourself.
Proper use both of ice and heat can be effective. Ice to the site of pain helps if you apply it within two days of the onset. Later in treatment, compressing a heating pad on the tight lower back muscles will relieve strain.
Stretching is a very good way to reduce symptoms.
Quick Tip to Relax Your Tight Hip Flexors
Stretching is also effective in sciatic treatment. Spasticity of the prominent muscle of the buttocks—the piriformis muscle, can irritate the sciatic nerve. Lying on one’s back and rolling the trunk muscles toward the unaffected side stretches the muscle. Placing a tennis ball just under the tight muscle and bearing weight for about sixty seconds also releases the contracting piriformis.
Coping well with sciatica from home requires attention to body positioning. In some cases it is much more painful to remain seated than it is to stand. If a particular posture causes excess pain, limit that activity. At the same time, do not rely completely upon the comfort of a chair or a bed. Use pillows to support your hips and lower back if necessary.
Good sciatic treatment also includes moving about. Less-active muscles tighten and become more difficult to use. In fact, being immobile will only exacerbate your pain. Be sure to limit the amount of time you spend lying in bed. Slow your pace, but do not stop.
