6 Best Treatments for Sciatic Nerve Pain
What is Sciatic Nerve? The sciatic nerve is a huge nerve which is the longest nerve found in humans. It originates in the lower back and runs its way through the buttock, down to the lower limb and the foot. The sciatic nerve connects the lower area, i.e., muscles and skin of legs, thighs, and foot to the nervous system. The sciatic nerve is responsible for providing sensation to the skin of the feet and legs, excluding the inner leg area. Pain due to pressed or petulant sciatic nerve, in the lower back area, is termed as sciatica. The most common cause of sciatica is spinal disc herniation, a medical condition in which the spinal disc develops a crack and pinches into the sciatic nerve. However, there exist some other lower back problems too, which may also lead to a sciatic nerve disorder, like a degenerative disc, spondylolisthesis or piriformis syndrome. Treatment for Sciatic Nerve Pain Acupuncture This is a Chinese treatment for sciatic nerve pain, in which painless, hair-like needles are poked into the skin near the area of pain. Acupuncture helps in improving or reviving the natural energy flow of the body and has been found to be an effective treatment that has been used for ages. For better results, warming acupuncture is recommended in which the needles used are heated. Heat or Ice Packs In case of acute sciatic nerve pain that you experience in the initial stage, applying heat or ice packs can be helpful, for reducing the pain to some extent. Apply the heat or the ice pack for at least 20 minutes and if needed, repeat it every 2-3 hours. Hot water bottles can be used for applying hot packs. For applying ice packs, one must keep the ice between a towel or any other thick cloth, to avoid the risk of ice burn.