Sciatica: Top 6 Ways To Naturally Relieve The Pain

The sciatica nerve is one of the largest nerves of your body. It runs all the way down from the lower spine over the buttock to both feet to provide movement, feeling, and strength in both legs.  Now, this nerve can become irritated and cause pain which can happen due to a number of causes such as lumbar spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, pregnancy, muscle spasm, obesity, not enough physical activity, wearing high heels, or sleeping on a mattress that’s too soft.

You may have notice that some of the causes of sciatica pain are an underlying health issue, that’s because sciatica is actually a symptom and not a condition in itself. However, your lifestyle can play a role into making it worse.  Nevertheless, you shouldn’t let this go untreated because not only that it can be debilitating, but also lead to more serious problem.

Before you turn to pain medication or an invasive procedure, know that there are other ways to relieve the pain that doesn’t involve those.

Here are the 6 natural ways that could help you cure the inflammation and fight the pain.  

1. Chiropractic Care

This addresses misalignments of the spine and pelvis. Adjustments will free restricted movement and restore proper position of vertebrae in the spine, which then takes the pressure off the nerves and helps with the recovery of any disc herniation.

2. Yoga And Stretching

Yoga and stretching helps align, lengthen, and strengthen your lower back. Asa result the pressure on the nerve is likely to come off. But you should consult your doctor first, because the cause and severity of your sciatica pain will determine if this approach will help your condition or make it worst.

3. Acupuncture And Massage Therapy

We already know that massage and acupuncture are relaxing because they encourage the release of pain-fighting endorphins which helps relieve the sciatica pain. Aside from that they loosen tight lower back muscles that are placing stress on your nerve roots and help prevent pinching and irritation.

4. Sit Less And Move More

Moving around may be the last thing on your mind when struggling with sciatic pains, but it is important to get physically active or the pain will last longer! Sitting around all the time only aggravates the problem. Doing even some light exercises increases blood flow, strengthen the back muscles, and improve mobility.

5. Heating Pads

Using heating pads helps dull the pain because it loosens up tight muscles and helps improve blood circulation. So when you’re at home and the pain starts bothering you, it would be better to apply heat about every 2-3 hours than reach for the bottle of painkiller every time it hurts.  Heating pads dulls the pain the same way pills do, but it doesn’t come with side-effects that long-term reliance to medication comes with.

6. Tennis Ball Therapy

You can use one or more tennis balls depending on pain level and ability to balance. All you have to do is place a tennis ball under your muscles where you’re experiencing the pain as you sit or lie on the floor. Using one ball puts more pressure on the area and may cause more pain, but using two or more allows the pressure to spread over instead of putting direct pressure on the already sensitive spot. Compress the painful spot for 15-20 seconds. The tennis ball presses and treats trigger points in the piriformis muscle, reduce the muscle tension and rigidity, improve mobility and improve blood circulation to the area.