Sciatica Natural Treatments

Sciatic pain can be as a result of a compressed nerve, most often caused by a herniated disc. The pain symptoms vary, depending on the severity of the compression. Most who suffer with sciatic pain experience weakness accompanied with pain in the lower back and legs.

Feldenkrais Massage

• Feldenkrais therapy was developed by Moshe Feldenkrais as a mean to alleviate pain. This form of therapy stresses "awareness of movement," which involves learning how to sit and stand properly to help lessen the pain of sciatica as well as preventing further injury.

Homeopathy

• Using homeopathic remedies can help treat the painful symptoms of sciatica. Frequently prescribed homeopathic remedies which are used to treat sciatic pain are Arsenicum album, kali carbonicum, Arnica montana, dulcamara and Rhus toxicodendron.

Herbal Therapy

• Boswellia contains phytochemicals and can help to reduce pain and inflammation as well as help repair blood vessels damaged due to inflammation.

  Bromelain is from an enzyme acquired from pineapples. It is used to help combat the pain and inflammation often associated with sciatica.

  White willow also contains phytochemicals and it is effective for alleviating low back pain, particularly nerve associated pain.

  Turmeric has been used for centuries throughout Asia as an herbal remedy due to its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving qualities.

  St. John's wort can aid in the production of serotonin and is used for treating nerve-related pains, including sciatic pain.

Nutritional Supplements

• Serotonin is a neurotransmitter manufactured in the brain which helps to combat our conception of pain. It also helps to block what is referred to as "substance P," which is partly responsible for the pain signal reaching the brain.

  B vitamins are vital for nerve health. A deficiency in the B vitamins can actually increase our sensitivity to pain and in the instance of inositol, a deficiency can lead to an inflammation of the nerves.

  Magnesium is vital to the health of our nerves. It helps to calm the nerves as well as assists the nerves to absorb the nutrients they require. A doctor at a clinic in Toronto frequently suggests magnesium supplementation to her patients. The doctor, Linda Rapson, 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."

Inversion Therapy

• Spinal decompression through inversion therapy is frequently used for individuals who suffer with back pain. Inversion therapy helps to counter-balance the effects of gravity on the spine and can help to create a vacuum effect within the discs themselves, which can aid in fluid reabsorption and take pressure off of nearby nerves.

Massage

• Rolfing can help correct any muscular abnormalities which might be aggravating sciatic symptoms, Neuromuscular therapy targets specific muscles which may be tense, or contracted, and putting pressure on nearby nerves, Reflexology uses pressure points in the feet to alleviate sciatic pain (the sciatic nerve ends at the sole of the foot, near the heel) and acupressure, which uses a combined effect of kneading, manipulating and massaging acupressure points which help to refocus the pain signal as well as block the message of pain along its pathway.