Sciatica is commonly referred to as a symptom set that might be caused by irritation or general compression of one of the five nerve roots that give rise to the sciatic nerve. It can also be the irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve, itself. Not all back pain is caused by a herniated disc or sciatica. We tend to be obsessed with scary sounding medical names in our society.
If you feel tingling, pins and needles, tenderness, numbness or burning sensation in one of your limbs then you might have sciatica. Still, it is not a smoking gun and could easily be another problem that is causing these symptoms. Be sure to visit a health professional and get their opinion before jumping to conclusions.
A pinched nerve can cause the exact same type of symptoms and is referred to as sciatica-like or pseudo sciatica. Be sure to find out from your doctor if you are dealing with sciatica-like symptoms and not sciatica itself. You can avoid a lot of treatment and medication that really isn't necessary. Pinched nerves are caused by tightening, stretching or the compression of a nerve. Nerves like the ulnar, femoral, radial and sciatic are more vulnerable because they pass over the bones.
These relatively minor symptoms can often be treated effectively with OTC remedies. There are many alternative remedies that work effectively for sciatica-like symptoms. No single remedy will give better results than adequate amounts of rest, though.
There are several homeopathic remedies that will help if you choose to go with an OTC treatment. The most common remedies for sciatica-like symptoms are rhus tox and arnica. Rhus tox should be used if the pain gets better when you put a heating pad on it and arnica is the best choice if you symptoms follow an injury. Another excellent remedy is a herbal tea made of equal parts of Skullcap, Siberian Ginseng and St.John's Wort.
The best way to deal with Sciatica is to avoid it in the first place. You can do so by:
~ Be sure your diet includes lecithin. It is great in helping to regenerate nerves.
~ Try to stay at a healthy body weight.
~ Exercise daily
~ If your job requires you to sit all day then you should invest in a chair with good ergonomic properties and be sure to get up and stretch often.
~ Avoid sitting in the exact same position for hours on end.
~ Learn proper lifting techniques (especially when lifting heavy objects). You should bend you knees and not your back.
~ Try to maintain good posture at all times.
Be sure to avoid activities that might aggravate your problem. You might have to lay off the basketball or bowling until you can get your symptoms under control. Also, try some light muscle strengthening and stretching exercises. These will help you avoid the symptoms now and in the future. You can find some good exercises by searching the internet.
A pinched nerve is a relatively minor condition. The bad thing about it is that it can easily lead to other conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow or peripheral neuropathy. Make sure that you find out exactly what you are dealing with because any of these can lead to a permanent disability if they are not corrected in time.
Author Resource:-
Dee Braun, a single mom of 6, is a Cert. Aromatherapist and natural health practitioner. Click now to visit Natural Holistic Health Blog which offers info on more natural remedies & healing techniques for common health & emotional ailments and conditions at http://www.Natural-Holistic-Health.com/
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