Sciatic nerve pain is no fun. It’s irritating and may cause pain in your lower back, buttocks, hips, and lower back. The pain might be shooting or tingling and may cause muscle spasms and weakness. If you’re experiencing this type of pain, you might struggle to think about anything other than getting relief.
There are many effective treatment options for sciatic nerve pain. Let’s look at the many different options to treat this type of pain.
Top 5 Sciatic Nerve Pain Treatments
1. Cold and Heat
According to harvard.edu, using ice packs and heat can help to relieve sciatic nerve pain. Ice can help to reduce the inflammation within the sciatic nerve, but you do need to be careful not to give yourself frostbite from the ice pack.
Don’t allow the ice pack to be directly on the skin. Instead, wrap it in a cloth or towel and only leave it on your back for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Make sure to take a break of 15 to 20 minutes before putting another ice pack on, as well. You can cycle the ice for up to about 100 minutes.
It’s also good to use ice packs and heat in a rotation. Heat can be added in after about a week of ice treatment. Again, don’t allow a heating pad to touch the skin directly, as it can burn you.
2. Chiropractor Spinal Adjustments
A trip to the chiropractor can make a big difference for your sciatic nerve pain, too. A chiropractor can help you deal with a ruptured or herniated disc. This type of injury can lead to sciatic nerve pain.
A study from the Official Journal of the North American Spinal Society showed how those suffering from sciatic nerve pain who received chiropractic adjustments had less pain and it didn’t last as long, either.
3. Physical Therapy
After you gain some pain relief through chiropractic care, you can enter into physical therapy. A rehabilitation program can help keep future injuries from happening. This type of therapy will usually include exercises to help strengthen the muscles and correct your posture.
4. Massage Therapy
You can use massage therapy to relieve sciatic nerve pain. This type of therapy helps the muscles and the tissues heal better. It can help to improve blood flow and help to relieve some pain, too.
Massage therapy can give you a healthy release of endorphins, which can help you feel good and less pain. The relaxation of the muscles can also help to reduce back pain.
5. Movement
In some cases, movement can help with your sciatic nerve pain. This may not come until later in the process, but even early on, sitting too long can make the pain worse. Movement can help to strengthen the muscles and add to your flexibility.
There are many ways to help relieve your sciatic nerve pain. Speaking with a chiropractor can help you see the natural treatments you can use to get rid of the pain.