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End Sciatica With These Non-Invasive Treatments

Posted by Admin Tuesday, October 11, 2011

By Brandon Sharp


There are many courses of treatment for your sciatica pain that most physicians will try before resorting to invasive surgeries. The following are six of the most used non-invasive treatments to help treat sciatica nerve pain.

1. Pain killers. The most common treatment for sciatic pain is simple painkillers. Many people can get by just fine with ibuprofen or aspirin.

If the discomfort does not subside but continues to worsen, you physician might prescribe a stronger, more potent pain killer such as codeine. Opiate-based pain killers are usually the last resort effort your physicians will make before turning to something other than oral medications.

Muscle relaxants can cause drowsiness, so you must not operate a motor vehicle or heavy machinery within 24 hours of taking this type of medication.

2. Working out/Regular exercise. Exercise acts as a sort of wonder drug because it can help the human body and mind in so many ways. Most physicians will prescribe regular exercise after a couple of days of rest, as too much rest can actually cause your pain to intensify.

Consistent exercise, when combined with positive lifestyle changes such as weight loss can help reduce the stress placed on the heart, kidneys, liver and even your spinal column and skeletal system.

The following types of exercise are highly recommended for those who suffer with sciatica: low-impact aerobic routines, strength training and stretching for relaxation and flexibility.

3. Hot packs/cold packs. Some people prefer direct cold while others prefer heat packs to ease their discomfort. You should try both types of compression packs to see which works the best for you. You can even use both types of packs, alternating hot then cold.

4. Corticosteroids. When all else has failed, a direct injection of a steroid-based anti-inflammatory agent may be prescribed by your doctor. Corticosteroids work directly on the site of the pain and swelling.

Corticosteroid injections usually work quickly. The goal of a corticosteroid injection is to immediately ease any irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve that may have been the result of muscle tightness or tissue inflammation. So Corticosteroid injections don't just mask the pain, the help reduce pain by addressing the source of pain.

5. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). While some people can tolerate a high level of pain and discomfort there are those that can't; for those with a low tolerance level for pain undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy may be ideal for them. CBT relies on exercised to help condition the patient to behave differently to a particular event or stimulus. Anyone can use cognitive behavioral therapy from children to adults.

6. Anti-depressant medication. Recent research shows that anti-depressant medication might be effective in eliminating lower back pain, even in those that do not suffer clinical depression.

Tricyclic medication, a type of anti-depressive, has been touted as an effective alternative for individuals who are not responding to regular painkillers such as NSAID drugs and opioid-based painkillers during acute bouts of upper and lower back pain. It appears that tricyclic medications are more effective when prescribed to people with chronic pain issues.




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