A combination of pressure and inflammation on the nerve root can cause sciatic nerve pain and several treatments can relieve these factors. Although surgery may be needed in cases where the spinal column or cord has already been damaged, most treatments are non-invasive and fairly easy.
Commonly, sciatica pain is treated with pain killers such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Due to their high risk for addiction, opiate-based pain killers are only utilized as a last resort. In addition, doctors are also recommending routine exercise to treat sciatica pain, as by stretching and strengthening your back and leg muscles, you can release the pressure on the sciatic nerve. But the best treatment by far for sciatica pain is to alter certain habits in your lifestyle that may contribute to the pain, in order to prevent or alleviate sciatica symptoms.
Bad posture could be adding a lot of extra stress on your spine, disks, muscles, ligaments, joints, and nerves; so simply by altering your posture, you can minimize sciatica pain and back injuries. Be sure not to slouch while sitting or leaning too far back or sitting too straight. You also want to keep your head aligned and not too far forward. The human head weighs roughly 15 pounds and if not properly supported by the neck, can cause a significant amount of stress on the muscles, ligaments, disks, and spine. It is crucial to have good back support as well by getting a chair that offers proper back support. Be sure to take breaks every thirty to sixty minutes to ensure that you are not sitting too long.
Take a minute to assess how you're standing. Is your pelvis pushed forward or backward or your shoulders hanging forward? How you stand can also impact your sciatic nerve. Try to avoid standing for prolonged periods of time, in order to avoid common sciatica symptoms, and be sure you're standing straight with your feet slightly apart. If you're not certain that you are standing straight, be sure that your shoulders are aligned with your ears. Keep your chin parallel to the ground and you can be sure that you're standing up straight.
When you're sleeping, posture matters too. It is bad for your back to sleep with pillows propping you up, sleep on your stomach, or on a sagging mattress. While lying on your back, you can keep your spine in correct alignment by putting a pillow beneath your knees to keep them slightly elevated. While sleeping on your side, you can place a pillow between your knees. Your pillow should be the proper density to keep your head aligned with your spine, without being too low or too high. In addition, your pillow should give your neck the proper support while sleeping on your back.
Try improving your posture, if you're looking for a natural treatment for sciatica pain. Proper exercise is also crucial as part of a natural sciatica treatment plan. Building up your muscles will help to avert them pressing on your sciatic nerve, and thus you can decrease or avoid sciatica symptoms altogether.
R. Stewart is dedicated to helping people find quality information to help alleviate their sciatica pain. For more information visit Quick Sciatica Relief and Sciatica Cure.
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