Natural Sciatica Treatment

Sciatic pain is often described as burning and tingling with an accompanying weakness in the legs. Frequently, sciatic pain stems from a herniated, or degenerated disk in the lumbar spine which can irritate the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the human body. Natural treatments can be effective in alleviating the symptoms often associated with sciatica pain.

Homeopathic Remedies

• Homeopathic remedies can be useful in helping to alleviate many nerve type pains, including sciatic pain. Frequently prescribed homeopathic remedies for sciatic pain are: Magnesium phosphoric, Colocynth, Rhus Toxicodendron, Arsenicum album, kali carbonicum, Arnica montana and dulcamara.

Capsaicin

• Capsaicin has been shown to be an effective topical pain reliever for sciatic pain. Capasicin can reduce the neurotransmitter Substance P, which plays a part in how the signal of pain is sent to the brain. A study published in 2003 found that capasicin was beneficial in treating nerve-type pain: "After eight weeks, equivalent, statistically significant improvements in pain severity, pain relief, and activities of daily living." (Botanicals and Dietary Supplements in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Kathleen M. Halat and Cathi E. Dennehy, PharmD2003).

Nutritional Supplementation

• Magnesium is required for our nerves be able to absorb the nutrients they require and it is necessary for the calming of our nerves. Dr. Linda Rapson works at a clinic in Toronto, Canada, and frequently encourages her patients to take a magnesium supplement. She states: "Virtually all of them improve when I put them on magnesium; it may sound too good to be true, but it's a fact." She adds: "The scientific community should take a good hard look at this." (A. Favaro 2002, Overlooked magnesium may be key to pain relief).

  B vitamins are considered essential for the health of our nerves. A deficiency in many of the B vitamins cannot only increase our sensitivity to pain, but it can cause an inflammation of the nerves.

Osteopathic Manipultion

• Osteopathic manipulation is often used as a means of gently manipulating spine in order to take pressure off of compressed, or otherwise pinched, nerves.

Bodywork and MassageTherapy

• Bodywork therapy, such as the Feldenkrais Method, can help with sciatic pain by assisting an individual to improve posture by stressing "awareness of movement," which involves learning how to sit and stand properly thus improving posture which can help to prevent further episodes of sciatia. Massage therapy has also been used as a means to alleviate sciatic pain. Various forms of massage that are beneficial for sciatic pain are acupressure, (helps to block the signal of pain to the brain), rolfing (a form of deep tissue massage), neuromuscular therapy, (focuses on muscles that might be placing pressure on nerves) and reflexology (based on certain pressure points of the feet that relate to areas of the body).

Herbal Therapy

• Boswellia is a natural anti inflammatory, it can help combat pain and the accompanying inflammation of sciatica and helped repair damaged blood vessels due to inflammation.

  Derived from pineapples, Bromelain is frequently used as an anti inflammatory and pain reliever for sciatic pain.

  White willow contains salicylic acid which is derived from the bark of the White Willow Tree. Throughout history White Willow has been prescribed as an effective pain reliever for those were suffering with a chronic pain condition such as sciatica.

  Turmeric has been used extensively in the whole of Asia as a painkiller and anti-inflammatory.
  St. John's Wort can aid in the production of serotonin and is used for treating nerve-related pains, including sciatic pain.