If you suffer from sciatica, then you are very familiar with the stabbing pain or numbness that radiates from your spine down through your legs, robbing you of quality of life and ease of motion.
You may also know about drug treatments or surgery that are usually recommended to relieve the pressure on the sciatic nerve that is causing the issues. But did you know that there are alternative options for finding relief from this debilitating condition?
What Alternative Options Can Help Relieve Sciatic Pain?
In order to truly relieve the pain, numbness, or tingling that results from sciatic nerve damage, you must address the issue at the root cause. It might surprise you that some simple reminders and exercises can provide you with much-needed relief.
Move – The most important thing you can do for yourself is make sure you do not remain seated for prolonged periods of time. Simply standing up or going for a walk can provide a good deal of relief for the spine, especially if your job or lifestyle has you seated in front of a screen for long amounts of time.
Hot and cold – You can also try applying hot compresses and icing the affected areas. Because pressure is being pushed onto the sciatic nerve, causing pain, these approaches can decrease the inflammation and often bring some relief. If you are using a heating pad or ice, be careful not to apply it directly to your skin. Wrap it in something like a towel first.
Increase flexibility – Stretching can help with many muscular pain issues, but it can also be of great benefit for sciatic pain.
Working the lower back muscles can provide relief for the spine by strengthening the muscles surrounding the area and giving you better posture. Make sure that you do stretching exercises correctly, or you could cause more damage.
Exercising – If you are able to increase the strength in the hip flexor muscles, this can often provide relief for sciatic pain by providing a more supported structure. Implementing a planned program or trying certain yoga poses can provide the strength and stability that you need to be more free from the pain.
Occasionally, your sciatic pain requires stronger, more aggressive treatment. While many people turn to medications or even invasive surgery, there are other options available, such as regenerative medicine and chiropractic services. By treating the root cause of the pain and aligning the spine through chiropractic care or spinal decompression, pressure on the sciatic nerve can be relieved.
If this sounds like an avenue you would like to investigate, contact us today at (518) 380-2432 for a free consultation to learn more about alternative solutions for sciatica pain.