Sciatica is generally related to the sciatic nerve pain. This pain occurs in the lower back and typically in the back of the thighs moving down to the knee. The reason of this pain is the irritation, stiffness and numbness in the sciatic nerve which is connected to the roots in the spinal cord of your body. Your hip, buttocks and legs are the most affected by this.
The sciatic nerve has a major role in your body and most particularly in your nervous system. It is the main source of damage recognition in your entire body. Technically, it is this nerve that sends signal to your mind about the pain when a damage of any tissue or bone has been caused. Our brain thus interprets the pain in a responding communication. Pain in itself could be classified into two categories of acute pain and chronic pain which determines the diverse paths of treatment for it as one is a short term pain which could be treated easily while the other is long term and has very complex treatment and sometimes no treatment at all.
Our spinal cord and nerve fibers are beautifully protected and coordinated through our back which further spreads down in our lower lumbar from pelvis till our legs and feet. Any pressure, injury or damage caused to this part of your body can directly affect your nerves. The apparent sciatica symptoms and causes for sciatic nerve pain could be:
- Pain in your lower back
- Walking getting severely difficult
- Bending at waist could get very painful
- Pain in the movement of your lower body parts
- Pinched feeling in your hips, buttock or back of your thighs
- Numbness, tingling or weakness
- Pain in one side of your lower body
Following are a few tips to manage and deal with the sciatica pain:
Make Exercise a Routine
Foremost of all, make sciatica exercises a daily routine. Don’t let it bring you down that you have pain in your lower back because when you will exercise, it will help you feel better. It will help in the soothing circulation of blood and fluids in various discs and pinched nerves of your body. You will feel safer in moving and it will give your overall health the boost it requires. Your body will strengthen to deal with this and other pains. Even your muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments will get stronger and help you support your body weight and pains.
Stretching Can Be Useful
Sciatica stretches and yoga is an alternated and advanced form of exercise with the same and sometimes more useful results because you can target one area and work on its strength while increasing your overall balance, strength and stability. In sciatic nerve pain, you can make your lower back your target and work on its stiffness.
Use a Good Massage
The purpose of a massage is to get a good flow of blood to all the parts of your body and nerves. So as a treatment for sciatica, the massage using a handheld massager could actually be a savior as it can help with all the major symptoms of the sciatic nerve pain. It can increase the blood and fluids flow in your problematic areas and relax the tension in your muscles and nerves.
Staying Active Is The Key
Movement in any way can restore all your power, strength and balance. To stay active while dealing with sciatica is the most important solution. You don’t have to exercise or walk for hours, but a little movement or stretching can do a lot for your hurt or pinched nerve. In your daily work routine, blend a few minutes’ walk or the basic stretching of 5 minutes, after every hour. Your muscles, body postures, shape, all get badly affected by inactive behaviour.
To support your body, you need to stay active as much as you can. Push yourself initially with a support of a stick or supportive brace if you have to but don’t let immobility come in to your life.
Use Medicine to Minimize Inflammation
One handy tip for sciatica treatment could be to use a medicine which is not an anti biotic or steroidal but is more like a pain killer to reduce inflammation which could also be beneficial for your pain along the nerve. This might actually help relax the stiffness and numbness in your lower back too.
Use Ice/Heat Packs
Another useful tip to manage the sciatic nerve pain is to use the ice or heat packs with alternative intervals. This will help in soothing down your short term pain and can even reduce the tension in your muscles. You can use both ice and heat packs for better effects and relief but can decide yourself, after the first application which is more suitable for you.