What is sciatica?
Sciatica is the pain that starts somewhere in your low back region and shoots all the way down to your hips and legs. Some people complain of feeling the pain in their feet. The doctors would tell you it is caused by the compression or inflammation of your sciatic nerve. The nerve is the largest single nerve in the body and is responsible for transmitting sensory information from the brain to the legs. My pain started out as a tingling sensation in my legs but it soon transformed to an intense pain. I fixed an appointment with the doctor and after some scans, I was told that a herniated disk was pressing down on my sciatic nerve. It seemed like medical jargon to me at that point and I couldn’t wait to get my drugs and leave. Little did I know I was dealing with a monster that wouldn’t give in easily.
How I cured my sciatic pain Sciatica is one of the most common and most debilitating causes of back pain. People suffering from sciatica complain of intense pain in their back or hip region and this could go on forever. I have been down that road before and looking back, the period is easily the most challenging period in my life. I’d wake up with the searing pain every day and most times, I cannot muster the willpower to rise from the bed. From that moment on, I knew my day was close to ruined. It’s an experience I wouldn’t wish for anyone and I hope with this guide, I’m able to share tips on how you can overcome your sciatica back pain.
How to cure sciatica pain There are different interventions available for people suffering from sciatica. Like my doctor told me, many of these options are combined to ensure a comprehensive cure is achieved. Below are some of the initial options I was advised to try out: more on how i cured my sciatica pain click here....
Physical therapy: this is the first line of sciatica treatment. Physical therapy is recommended for everyone suffering from sciatica including those that are already using drugs or other interventions. A therapist worked with me and recommended some exercises that were designed to stretch my back and leg muscles. The exercises helped to ease the pressure off my sciatic nerve. With physical therapy, standing up, walking and other light activities became easier. Although there was no complete resolution. I also observed that physical therapy became less effective with time.
Limited bed rest: I was also told to move off my bed three times a week. I switched to sleeping on a firm mattress on the floor. This greatly eased my early morning back pain and waking up was less of a nightmare. However, it only provided a temporary fix like the physical therapy. The pain gradually worsened till sleeping on the floor stopped helping.
Hot and cold packs:I was told to switch between applying hot and cold packs on my lower back. For the first few days, I was to apply the cold packs about 6 times every day. I’d then switch to hot packs and repeat the routine. This method provided some relief but I did not think it was worth the stress. And the fact that I had to do it every day made it easy for me to give up on the ice and hot packs. The methods I shared above are physical methods that do not involve drugs. You’ll be very lucky if one of them could permanently resolve your sciatic nerve pain. I, for one, wasn’t so lucky, I struggled with the pain for a while before I included drugs in my sciatica remedies. more on how i cured my sciatica pain click here....
Drugs used in curing sciatica pain
There are many drug therapies that may improve your sciatica. Over-the-counter analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs are the first line when it comes to drug therapy. However, I could not continue using them forever due to their side effects. Soon, I got prescriptions for strong muscle relaxants and some other drugs. To be honest, these drugs worked fine but it appeared as though my sciatica back pain just won't go away. I was introduced to steroid injections to control the inflammation in the nerve and that also helped for a while. Although surgery is a last resort, doctors consider it when sciatica becomes overly stubborn. Only about 5% - 10% of people with sciatica end up going under the knife. Some people with sciatic nerve pain become unable to control their bowel movement as the condition worsens. Such persons would have to go for surgery.
Alternative treatments
I was only able to find true relief from my sciatica back pain when I decided to explore alternative treatments. I found chiropractic treatments particularly useful and I continued with my medications and physical therapy while trying the chiropractic treatment. Friends also recommended Yoga, Acupuncture and other alternative treatment options. Though I’m over it now, it’s hard to pinpoint which of the methods actually worked. I believe a combination of physical therapy and medications plus alternative treatments present the perfect cocktail for tackling sciatica. Whatever happens, you should never stop working hard and believing you’ll overcome the pain. Although it could be hard, it’s certainly not impossible. And although it could take time, it won’t last forever.
How I Cured My Sciatic Pain With This Simple Home Remedy....
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