Pain from Sciatica, and How to Live with it
Sciatica is a very uncomfortable pain which for some people can be debilitating. Sciatica by medical standards is referred to as: a type of pain affecting the sciatic nerve, which is a large nerve which extends down into the back of each leg.
Some of the symptoms may include a shooting pain from your lower back into your leg.
1.It can be worse at times to sit than stand. At times it may feel like there is no comfortable position. The pain can be so debilitating that it will bring you to tears and you can’t move. Before I was diagnosed with sciatica, I spent a few days in bed, in tears because I could hardly move with out shooting pain.
2.You may feel burning or tingling in your legs or back.
3.You may suffer from a constant pain on one side of the back, at times like a dull back ache that you can’t get comfortable with.
4.There are many proclaimed cures out there but I have yet to find any solid evidence of such cures. Some of the things that I have found which work for me personally are:
5.Using a heating pad
6.Talking with my doctor and taking Ibuprofen 800 for the pain. This helps with the inflammation and pain. It is not a controlled substance so you will be able to take it on a daily basis if needed.
7.Exercise is important also. Don’t over do it. I have been consulting a personal trainer at the local gym for help with strengthening my back. It has really helped with the pain.
8.I also take a multi vitamin along with my Ibuprofen, calcium supplements and vitamin c. I am not claiming that this will work for you but taking a multi vitamin and the calcium are recommended for women.
9.Be careful with picking things up, this for me has cut my pain down. Lifting heavy items especially small children can cause a lot of pain.
Some of the causes for Sciatica are:
1.Lumbar spinal stenosis which is the narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back. It is a degenerative disc disease (breakdown of discs, which act as cushions between the vertebrae)
2.Spondylolisthesis: This is a condition in which one vertebra slips forward over another one.
3.Pregnancy
4.Some other factors which may cause pain are being overweight, not exercising on a regular basis, wearing high heels and sleeping on a mattress that is not firm enough.
There are treatments for this pain:
1.Consult with your doctor before trying any “home remedies”. I guarantee you that if you actually have Sciatica you will not be able to use over the counter back pills. They just are not strong enough.
2.There are many prescriptions available through your physician to help with this pain and make the main more tolerable or even nearly gone.
3.There is also the option of using an epidural steroid injection through the consultation of your physician.
4.Physical therapy through a trained physical therapist, personal trainer, or following specified exercises by your doctor’s orders can also help strengthen your back and lessen the pain.
5.The last resort of course is surgery.
