How do I soothe my painful sciatic nerve with no medication?

Answer 1

Heat and ice.

Switch from ice packs to heating pad 15 minutes at a time.

Also Icy hot can help.

Answer 2

Why haven't you been to any physical therapy for this? There are exercises that the therapists can show you that will help. There is also medications that can help relieve the pressure and inflammation too. Have your doctor refer you to a pain management doctor. He also needs to fax the results of the MRI's for you. They can also do nerve conduction tests to test for this too. I think that you need to change your doctor. The one you have has neglected to give you the help out there for sciatica nerve pain and diagnosis. The very least he could have done is refer you for better pain management. The doctor there might try epidural steroid injections to see if they help. Last if none of these work there is surgery. I truly hope that you will try another doctor and get referred into pain management where there are options to choose from. Good luck and God Bless

Answer 3

First, take Ibuprofen. Sit with an ice pack directly on the tailbone for 15 minutes. Then stand up gently and walk with short, smooth steps, very slowly, for 5 minutes. Then rest with no heat and no ice for 20 minutes. (it'll warm back up slowly during that time.) Then start over. Ice. Walk. Rest. Do this cycle 3-4 times and you will be amazed at the difference.

Answer 4

Hi,
It is a fact that no one condition reflects sciatica and it would be prudent to refer to it as a generic medical term encompassing lots of symptoms that taken together describe a lower back pain that a patient suffers from. When someone complains of severe back pain that passes down to legs through his buttocks, even down to his feet and toes, doctors suspect him to be suffering from sciatica. Often sciatica presents itself as numbness or a tingling sensation that may not be anything like the severe pain commonly associated with sciatica. This tingling or numbness may be felt by the person when he engages in some activities.


On this site you can find very good tips on how to treat your sciatica: http://curesciatica.toptips.org
Bye Bye

Answer 5

A nice hot bath

Answer 6

Sciatica problems usually will get better on its own, and the healing process usually only takes a few days or weeks. Overall, the vast majority of episodes of sciatica pain heal within a six to twelve week time span. However, occasional flare-ups of sciatic nerve pain may be an indication of a condition that should be managed so that it does not get worse over time. For most, readily available pain management techniques and regular exercise will go a long way to remedying the situation. For others, when the pain is severe or does not get better on its own, a more structured pain management program (including specific physical therapy and exercise), and possibly surgery, may offer the best approach to finding pain relief and preventing or minimizing future flare-ups of sciatica.

Sciatica medical treatments
During an episode of sciatica, there are a number of conservative care (meaning non-surgical) options available to help alleviate the sciatic pain and discomfort.

Heat/ice for sciatica
For acute sciatica pain, heat and/or ice packs are most readily available and can help alleviate the pain, especially in the acute phase. Usually ice or heat is applied for approximately 20 minutes, and repeated every two hours. Most people use ice first, but some people find more relief with heat. The two may be alternated to help with sciatica pain relief.

Medications for sciatica
Over-the-counter or prescription medications may also be helpful in relieving sciatica. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or COX-2 inhibitors), or oral steroids can be helpful in reducing the inflammation and pain associated with sciatica.

If the sciatica pain is severe, an epidural steroid injection can be performed to reduce the inflammation. An epidural injection is different from oral medications because it injects steroids directly to the painful area around the sciatic nerve to help decrease the inflammation that may be causing the pain. While the effects tend to be temporary (providing pain relief for as little as one week up to a year), and it does not work for everyone, an epidural steroid injection can be effective in providing relief from an acute episode of sciatic pain. Importantly, it can provide sufficient relief to allow a patient to progress with a conditioning and exercise program.

In addition to standard medical treatments, several alternative treatments have also been shown to provide effective sciatica pain relief for many patients. Three of the more common forms of alternative care for sciatica include acupuncture, massage therapy and chiropractic manipulation.

Acupuncture
The practice is centered on the philosophy of achieving or maintaining well being through the open flow of energy via specific pathways in the body. Hair-thin needles (that are usually not felt) are inserted into the skin near the area of pain and left in place for a few minutes to over half an hour. Acupuncture has been approved by the U.S. FDA as a treatment for back pain, and the National Institutes of Health recognized acupuncture as effective in relieving back pain, including sciatica.


Massage therapy
Certain forms of massage therapy have been shown to have a number of benefits for back pain, including increased blood circulation, muscle relaxation, and release of endorphins (the body’s natural pain relievers).


Manual manipulation
Chiropractic spinal adjustments and manual manipulation performed by appropriately trained osteopathic physicians and physical therapists are focused on providing better spinal column alignment, which in turn should help to address a number of underlying conditions that can cause sciatic nerve pain. Manual manipulation done to address the right indications by appropriately trained health professionals can created a better healing environment and should not be painful.


Practical point:
While is seems counter-intuitive, activity and exercise typically provides more sciatica pain relief than rest. Following initial pain relief, a program of physical therapy and exercise should usually be pursued in order to alleviate pain and prevent or minimize any ongoing sciatic pain.

When the sciatica pain is at its worst, patients may need to rest for a day or two, but resting for longer periods of time is usually not advisable. In fact, inactivity will usually make the sciatic pain worse. This is because regular movement and exercise is necessary to nourish the various structures in the low back and encourage the strength needed to support the low back.

Many sciatica exercises focus on strengthening the abdominal and back muscles in order to give more support for the back. Stretching exercises for sciatica target muscles that cause pain when they are tight and inflexible. When patients engage in a regular program of gentle strengthening and stretching exercises, they can recover more quickly from a flare up of sciatica and can help to prevent future episodes of pain.

Low impact aerobic exercise, such as walking or swimming (or pool therapy) is also usually a component of recovery, as aerobic activity encourages the exchange of fluids and nutrients to help create a better healing environment. Aerobic conditioning also has the added benefit of releasing endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers, which is a natural way to alleviate sciatic pain.

Good Luck...hope you feel better soon!!

Answer 7

chiropractor