Treating Sciatic Nerve Pain

When it comes to relief from sciatic nerve pain or sciatica then it is seen that in most cases it goes away on its own within few days or in a week. The sufferer feels uncomfortable during this condition of sciatic nerve as flare ups can occur frequently. The best thing is to find the best solution to get rid of the problem of sciatic nerve. In some individuals the sciatic nerve pain can be unbearable while in some it is silent or dull one. If the pain is unbearable then the treatment for sciatic is must.

Usually simple exercises with some other sciatica treatment methods are a combination that can work well for the sufferer of sciatic nerve pain. Obviously the patient just needs an effective way to get rid of the discomfort. On the other hand, the severe cases are dealt with physical therapy as well as surgical procedure. Nobody wants to opt for surgery and so they try every other method in order to get the problem resolved without any surgical procedure.

In order to get rid of sciatica there are some non-surgical methods available. Before starting any sciatica treatment, it is important to know the causes that become the reason of sciatic discomfort so first diagnose the real cause. Use of ice and heat can be very effective to get rid of the sciatic pain that occurs in the leg or lower back and if it is applied in the early stage then the result is amazing.

Some sufferers apply ice at the initial stage and find it relieving while there are some who get relief from heating. There is no harm in trying both alternatively. Whether you are using ice or heating remember not to exceed the application for more than 20 minutes and there must be a gap of few hours.

Some medications are especially meant to treat sciatica. The over-the-counter or OTC pills are available to deal with the pain flare-ups. Then there is ibuprofen which is an anti-inflammatory drug used for reducing inflammation as well as improving the uncomfortable condition that occurs due to sciatica.

Many sciatic sufferers find the use of epidural steroid procedure very effective to reduce the discomfort caused by sciatica. The advantage of using injection is that the result is instant while in case of oral medications it takes little time to respond. Another advantage is that the patient can enjoy the relief for a year.

There are some alternative methods too which can be really helpful in dealing with the sciatica such as chiropractic manipulation, acupuncture as well as therapeutic massaging. In case of acupuncture technique is used to keep the open flow of energy throughout the body and so the person feels healthy. Actually some believe that in sciatica the flow of energy is not smooth due to blockage in the pathways so a person feels uncomfortable. In acupuncture very fine needles are inserted for few minutes on the affected areas. As a result the blocked pathways open up and so the flow of energy becomes smooth again.

Another important alternative sciatica treatment includes therapeutic massage which is quite effective as it reduces pain, improves circulation of blood, relaxes the muscles as well as it stimulates the release of endorphin in the body which is helpful for natural relief from pain. The manual manipulation offered by physical therapists and chiropractors can do wonders for relieving the pain but it is important to get it done from a qualified person only. Also remember that the result can be achieved if only it is done on regular basis. Try to treat it early as you can easily find the best short term and long term sciatic nerve pain relief.

Posted on February 8th, 2012 by Admin  |  No Comments »

Treatment Options for Back Pain

All back pain doesn’t require medical treatment may be because it is just a slight affect of strain or misuse. There are some cases when back pain requires proper treatment. Back pain treatment can be performed at doctor’s office, home, operating room, physical therapy or a Chiropractor’s office.

If anyone wants to know home treatment then it is quite easy to perform. Use heating pack for 20 minutes if it is paining. On the other hand, if there is swelling in that case use ice pack for twenty minutes. The other way to deal with the back pain is to just lie down on the hard surface and slightly lift the knee as well as hip just to prevent all the pressure from the back muscles. Try to start walking after 2 or 3 days for few minutes after every few hours. With these home treatment person can also take pain killers that are available over-the -counter and anti-inflammatory medicines too.

It is also possible that if home treatment doesn’t work effectively in that case person should consider other back pain treatment options. There are many treatment options available but it only depends upon causes of the back pain and even on the consultant you visit. For instance, your doctor will only treat your back pain with the medicines or he only recommends physical therapy.

The other way to deal with the back pain is with the help of a chiropractor who use physical therapy if required. They rarely prescribe medicines but only pain killers might be if there is warrantee.  In some cases x-rays are also taken for diagnosing the root cause of the pain which will make easy in selecting proper treatment without any further extra damages.

Injection of cortisone is also useful for preventing back pain. Cortisone have anti-inflammatory agent and when it is injected to the particular area it will provide relief from the pain fast. The pain can be prevented for six weeks with the help of this injection and then other injections need to be injected. It is important for sufferer to find other treatment so that back pain can completely heal.

There are cases when surgery is must particularly in case of ruptured disk. Before taking final decision related to the surgery consider other treatment options and take second opinion because back surgery is critical. After back surgery sufferer can feel that the pain has gone forever but it often causes chronic back pain finally. Try to keep back surgery as your last option.

Posted on February 2nd, 2012 by Admin  |  No Comments »