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How to Cure Sciatica at Home
If you’ve had enough of sciatica pain ruling your life, don’t despair! In this guide, you will learn about three of the most common home sciatica treatments – and how you can use them to reduce pain quickly. The best part about these treatments is that they can cure sciatica – not just cover up the pain. So, let’s get started…
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is the term used to describe nerve pain in the buttocks, legs and feet. It is caused when the sciatic nerve – the longest nerve in the body – becomes compressed or irritated. If you’re suffering with pain that radiates down the back of your leg and into your feet, it could be sciatica. What is the Sciatic Nerve? The sciatic nerve starts at the lower spine before running through the buttock, down the back of the thigh and into the foot. It’s an important nerve that sends signals from the spinal cord to the entire lower body. Because of its location and length, the sciatic nerve has a variety of functions. That’s why sciatica can result in pain throughout the entire lower body, and can even lead to coughing, sneezing and muscle contractions.
What Are the Symptoms of Sciatica?
Sciatica is a common type of pain affecting the sciatic nerve, a large nerve extending from the lower back down the back of each leg. Common symptoms of sciatica include: Lower back pain Pain in the rear or leg that is worse when sitting Hip pain Burning or tingling down the leg Weakness, numbness, or difficulty moving the leg or foot A constant pain on one side of the rear A shooting pain that makes it difficult to stand up Sciatica usually affects only one side of the lower body. Often, the pain extends from the lower back all the way through the back of the thigh and down through the leg. Depending on where the sciatic nerve is affected, the pain may also extend to the foot or toes. For some people, the pain from sciatica can be severe and debilitating. For others, the sciatica pain might be infrequent and irritating, but has the potential to get worse.
What Causes Sciatica?
Seek immediate medical attention if you have progressive lower extremity weakness, numbness in the upper thighs, and/or loss of bladder or bowel control. What Causes Sciatica? Sciatica is caused by irritation of the root(s) of the lower lumbar and lumbosacral spine. Additional common causes of sciatica include:
- Lumbar spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back)
- Degenerative disc disease (breakdown of discs, which act as cushions between the vertebrae)
- Spondylolisthesis (a condition in which one vertebra slips forward over another one)
- Pregnancy
- Muscle spasm in the back or buttocks
Other things that may make your back pain worse include being overweight, not exercising regularly, wearing high heels, or sleeping on a mattress that is too soft.