How to Treat Sciatica

If you suffer from sciatic nerve pain, it is very possible you are considering a variety of treatment options.

For individuals with severe or repeated flare-ups of sciatic nerve pain, the condition needs to be treated so that it does not get worse over time.

You should always consult with your doctor before considering any treatment options for any medical condition, and this is no different.

Most sufferers of sciatic nerve pain initially start out treating it with medications, with hopes that it will go away on it’s own. Anything from anti-inflammatories, to muscle relaxants, and even narcotics are typical medications prescribed for sciatic nerve pain.

The term sciatica describes the symptoms of leg pain—and possibly tingling, numbness or weakness—that originate in the lower back and travel through the buttock and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of the leg.

Physical therapy is another very common treatment for sciatica. Physical therapy has proven to be a reliable treatment option for relieving sciatic nerve pain in the short term, but it does require regular visits to a physician.

treating sciatica
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Treatment can get expensive

Unless your health insurance covers this treatment, it can get very expensive very quickly due to the scheduled and repeated visits.

When medications and physical therapy have not been successful at relieving sciatic nerve pain, your doctor may recommend a steroid injection in the area surrounding the nerve root. This can relieve pain by decreasing the inflammation around the irritated nerve.

When all else fails, your doctor may recommend surgery. This is a last resort, and usually reserved for those with pain that progressively worsens and does not improve with any of the other treatments.

This typically involves a surgeon removing the portion of the herniated disk that is pressing on and irritating the sciatic nerve.

Exercises for sciatica you can do at home

This is the typical progression of treatment options for individuals suffering from severe sciatica. Fortunately, there is one treatment option for sciatica not discussed here, which the most often overlooked, as well as one of the most successful.

Being proactive and educating yourself on the many different exercises for sciatica should always be your first step in finding sciatic pain relief. By educating yourself, you will not only learn why you are in pain, but also a step by step approach on how to relieve your pain from home without all the expensive doctors, medications, and surgery.

The first step towards relieving sciatic nerve pain is to learn why you are in pain in the first place so that you can then learn how to fix it. You will very quickly discover that educating yourself and taking action is the best treatment option for long term relief. When looking for effective sciatica exercises, it is important to first learn safe exercises you can do now.

You should always slowly work your way up to more advanced exercises to ensure you don’t injure yourself or set yourself back.

As you can see, there is a variety of treatment options available to those suffering from sciatica, including less traditional treatments such as acupuncture and massage therapy.

It is very important to discuss your options with your doctor, even before starting any exercises from home. Remember, the first step is and always should be to educate yourself, and that is something you can start right now before you even visit your doctor.

About author:
This article was contributed to healthiack.com by a guest author.

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