Treatment for sciatica

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1 million nerves, or maybe even more are interconnected and strategically positioned between bones but well connected to muscles, tendons, ligaments and the spinal cord. Sounds complex? Well, yes! The human body is wired with unimaginable complexity than one would ever imagine.

It is indeed a feat to build such a system while taking care that position of one element does not damage the other. It is probably the most complicated and well planned system that may ever exist.

Like any system however, the body too is capable of breaking down or failing due to one reason or the other. What happens if a nerve is pinched? Do messages to and from the brain still flow? Or do the body functions come to a standstill?

It seems quite obvious that it is impossible for all body functions to come to a standstill due to the breakdown of a single neural cell. So what really happens?

Here’s the answer. When a nerve is pinched, it may lead to pain responses that are elicited to the brain. Sometimes the disc or bone in the spinal cord may snap from its position compression and pinching a nerve that’s in its way. This nerve elicits pain responses that appear as backaches. This condition is called sciatica.
Here are a few methods that can be employed to treat backaches due to sciatica.

1. Rest.
Sciatica is a condition characterized by severe pain of the back that occurs at least once in the life time of most people. It may be aggravated by putting pressure on the area of pain. In most cases, medication may be unnecessary as the condition may heal on its own with proper rest and care.

2. Yoga.
There are many yoga exercises that help heal back pain especially that of sciatica caused due to neural pain in the back. Some of these include the Bhujangasana (Cobra pose), Garudasana (Eagle pose) and Bharadvajasana.

3. Medication.
Medications for Sciatica these days are aplenty. From simple painkillers to other prescription drugs, the doctor may advice the patient to take a particular medicine depending on the severity of their back pain. These may include Anti-inflammatories, Muscle relaxants, Anti-depressants and Anti-seizure medicines.

4. Exercises.

Physical activity for a patient suffering from sciatica is a must. This helps ease the pain in the legs and back. Complete bed rest may lead to a state of inactivity of muscles. Stretching, flexing and walking help heal the pain faster.

5. Ayurvedic remedies.
Of the innumerous ayurvedic remedies for sciatica, heat therapy is one of the most common and effective methods. Another commonly employed therapy involves massage of the entire back with certain ayurvedic oils by a trained masseuse.

6. Acupuncture.
Acupuncture as a method of treatment involves the insertion of needles as specific pressure points or acupuncture pints of the body. This method is used to treat blockages that occur along channels in the back that cause an imbalance and hence pain.
This treatment should be performed by an expert to avoid injuring nerves in the central nervous system.

7. Chiropractic therapy.
Chiropractors are medical professionals that deal with neuromuscular disorders and treat them by adjusting the spine.
Chiropractic therapy for sciatica is recommended for patients with mild to moderate levels of back pain.

8. Surgery.

Severe cases of sciatica occur when a nerve is compressed by a disk or another part of the spine. The back ache that results is permanent and may have to be treated by surgical methods of removing the disk that’s putting pressure on a particular nerve eliciting pain responses.

9. Injections.

Sciatica may also be the result of an injured or irritated nerve present in the spine. Such conditions may lead to internal inflammatory reactions that may be controlled by injections that help appease the inflammations thus curing the problem.

10. Painkillers.
Painkillers to ease the back ache may be obtained from a pharmacy without the doctor’s prescription. These may include the regular painkillers such as paracetamol.

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