It’s estimated that 2% of all adults will experience sciatic nerve pain, or sciatica, at some point in their life. Sciatica is most often caused by a herniated disk pinching the sciatic nerve, and can lead to shooting pain in the lower back and limbs, numbness or tingling, pain when sleeping, and even trouble moving.
Sciatica symptoms usually clear up within six weeks, but sometimes the pain lasts longer. If you’re experiencing sciatica, you can understand how tough it would be to wait the pain out.
Luckily, there are several natural ways you can relive your sciatica pain and symptoms. From visiting a chiropractor to stretching and yoga, there are lots of natural sciatica treatments.
- See A Chiropractor – Most chiropractors offer a sciatica treatment called spinal manipulation in which the therapist initiates a nervous system response that helps restore mobility to the affected area and naturally reduced inflammation. 60% of people suffering from sciatica experienced lasting relief by visiting a chiropractor twice a week.
- Try Acupuncture – Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years, but its still offering incredible relief for sciatica patients today. Most acupuncture sciatica treatments take around 12 sessions for improvement, but some people have reported pain reduction after only one session.
- Take Up Yoga – Though yoga’s exact effects on sciatica are scientifically unclear, 64% of people that have tried yoga for sciatica reported improvement after 16 weeks of practice. Yoga may help with sciatica pain because it strengthens the back and leg muscles for better support and loosens the body for more flexibility. Support and flexibility stop sciatica sufferers from falling into old posture habits that may inflame the affected area.
- Heat and Ice – While using a heating pad or an ice pack on your affected area won’t cure your sciatica, it will bring some temporary relief. Alternate ice and heat to reduce swelling and bring the pain down a few notches to tide you over until more permanent solutions take hold.
- Get Moving – Sitting still in one place is the worst thing you can do for your sciatica. Any movement is better than nothing, but doing stretching and light isometric exercises a few times a day can really help your pain. Focus on movements and stretches that target your lower back and legs. If you’re not able to stretch or do exercises, try going for a walk or simply taking more steps each day. If even walking is too painful, do your best to sit straight and focus on posture.
If you want to learn more about stretching, or need a few ideas to get you started on working out your sciatica, check out healthline.com.
Or, if you feel your sciatica is beyond natural relief and needs more serious treatment, learn more about options like:
Want to learn more about sciatica or other back issues? Check out some of our other articles. Feel free to post in the comments with your natural sciatica relief ideas!
