Treat Sciatica

Sciatica is a painful injury involving strain or damage to the sciatic nerve, which begins in your spine and runs down your leg. Various options exist to treat sciatica, depending on whether the pain you experience is acute or chronic and where the underlying cause of the pain originates. Learn how to successfully manage the pain caused by sciatic nerve damage and a spectrum of ways to treat sciatica with these treatment options.

Steps

Treating Sciatica at Home

1. Rest. This is the most important step in healing any illness or injury, so be sure your body is getting plenty of rest. If necessary, take time from work or school to sleep and allow your back to heal.
2. Apply ice to the affected area. This will reduce swelling and tension while providing minor relief from the discomfort.
   • Ice packs can be kept on the area for ten to twenty minute intervals for optimum results. Do this three to four times a day.
   • Follow the ice packs with hot compresses to constrict blood vessels and soothe pain.
3. Take medications to reduce swelling. This will not only bring down inflammation but also aid in reducing pain.
   • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be purchased over the counter and are effective for pain due to minor sciatica.
   • Prescription-strength medications such as oral steroids are an effective option to treat chronic sciatic nerve damage.
   • Muscle relaxers can be taken to reduce muscle spasms and pain.
4. Stretch the affected muscles. Low impact exercise and stretching can help to heal the muscle and strengthen it against further damage.
   • Stretch the piriformis muscle — the muscle in the leg that runs parallel to the sciatic nerve — often to relieve tension on the nerve.
   • Participate regularly in low-impact exercise such as water aerobics. This will reduce tension on your joints while encouraging healthy muscle development.
   • Strengthen the muscles of the back and abdomen to create strong support for the sciatic nerve. Lower abdominal exercises, such as crunches, are a great way to fortify the midsection and to ease sciatic nerve discomfort.
   • Avoid siting or standing. This can compress the injured area even more, increasing pain. Instead, try going for walks or laying down.
5. Wear a back brace. This will help to support your back and reduce further strain on the nerve. If necessary, you can also use a cane or crutches to aid in walking.

Getting Treatment from a Doctor

1. Visit a physical therapist. They will be able to perform special exercises and stretches to greatly increase your rate of recovery.
2. Visit an occupational therapist. This specialized therapy helps to teach you skills to deal with your injury in every day activities.
3. Try ultrasound therapy. This is a special machine that uses sound waves to reduce pain and muscle tension.
4. Talk to your doctor about trying an epidural steroid medication. This involves injecting a steroidal medication close to the spine to reduce pain and swelling.
5. Try chemonucleolysis. This is another injection done by a doctor to help shrink or soften the damaged disk.
6. Get surgery. Although this should be the last step taken, surgery can help to correct a difficult case of sciatica by decreasing pressure on the sciatic nerve or correcting a damaged disk.

Preventing Sciatica

1. Avoid heaving lifting. This can compress the nerves in your spine and injure the nearby muscles.
2. Stay in shape. Weight gain and obesity can both lead to compressing the sciatic nerve. Regular exercise and a healthy diet can both help to reduce pain associated with sciatica.
3. Avoid pressure on the back and legs. This includes sitting for extended periods of time and lifting things that are too heavy for you to safely manage.
4. Maintain exercises and therapy. Regularly practice the exercises that help to treat sciatica post-recovery including crunches and leg stretches.

Warnings

• Long-term use of corticosteroids, especially the oral versions of these drugs, can produce adverse side effects including increased susceptibility to infections and suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This can lead to a risk of adrenal insufficiency at the time of severe stress. Talk to your health care practitioner about concerns before you commit to long-term corticosteroid use.
• Carefully consider surgical options to treat sciatica, as risks always accompany surgical procedures.

Related Articles

• Use Osteopathy to Treat Back Pain
• Treat a Pinched Nerve
• Straighten Your Spine
• Strengthen Your Back with Pilates
• Do Water Aerobics
• Avoid Leg/Foot Cramps in Bed
• Reduce Chronic Pain

Sources and Citations

• http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/back-surgery/microdiscectomy-microdecompression-spine-surgery
• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sciatica/DS00516
• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sciatica.html

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