Sciatica is characterized the pain starting in lower back and extending down to buttocks, back of the thigh and leg.
It is mainly caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve.
It may be compressed due to herniated disc, degenerative disc disease such as osteoarthritis, lumbar spinal stenosis and isthmic spondylolisthesis.
In rare cases, spinal tumors and infections can cause compression of the sciatic nerve.
Patients with sciatic pain experience extreme pain as well as numbness and tingling in the leg.
In severe cases, there may be incontinences of bowel or bladder.
In such situation, you need to seek medical attention.
There are several treatment options to get relief from sciatica.
You can choose from different treatment option, which can effectively help to give relief from sciatica.
Generally, the treatment is meant for relieving pain and reducing the symptoms.
There are non-surgical and surgical options for treating the sciatic pain.
Some effective non-surgical options include medications, hot and cold therapy, exercises, acupuncture and physical therapy.
Medications- Anti-inflammatory medications are the first option for getting relief from sciatica.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, naproxen sodium and ketoprofen can effectively relieve the sciatic pain.
Depending upon the severity of pain, stronger COX-2 inhibitors may be prescribed.
Acetaminophen such as Tylenol can be used for pain relief.
Hot and cold therapy- For effective relief from sciatica, hot and cold therapy is very useful as it can reduce inflammation.
For acute sciatic pain, you should apply a cold pack to the lower back, which can relieve the inflammation of the muscles and nerves.
After the first week, you may apply a heat pack, which improves the blood flow through muscles, which enhances the healing process.
Application of hot packs can stimulate the sensory receptors present in the skin, which makes the brain to focus less on sciatic pain.
You may also get relief by alternating hot and cold therapy.
You can use ice massage or ice pack for cold therapy.
Many such sessions need to be performed throughout the day to get effective relief.
Exercise- it is helpful for long-term pain relief from sciatica.
Gentle stretching and low-impact exercises such as walking can help to supply the healing nutrients to the affected area and restore the function.
Stretching exercises can develop flexibility in the spine and soft tissues and also brings sustained pain relief.
Strengthening exercises are important to minimize future recurrences of sciatic pain.
Varied and regular exercise program can give long-lasting relief from sciatic pain by strengthening muscles, reducing stiffness and improving flexibility.
Acupuncture- It is a painless medical treatment in which small needles are placed at the strategic points on the body.
It can help to stimulate the nerves and releases the body's natural painkiller called as endorphins.
It is considered as a very effective treatment option for sciatica.
Physiotherapy- It is one of the most effective treatment options for effective pain relief from sciatica.
Registered physiotherapists can give you proper instructions about the posture, body mechanics, strengthening and stretching and conditioning exercises, which help relieve sciatic pain to a great extent.
In addition to these non-surgical options, surgical options such as Laminectomy and Microdiscectomy can also be opted for in case of the severe sciatica pain.