Home treatment options for sciatica, including exercises and lifestyle changes, might offer you a chance to return to your normal daily activities, free from discomfort and pain.  However, if sciatica pain is disrupting your life, seek professional advise and treatment. You doctor will guide you through different treatment options and potential sciatica therapies after proper diagnosis.

Causes of sciatica pain

Sciatica is caused by compression of the sciatic nerve, the longest and largest nerve of the body. The term sciatica describes a collection of symptoms that typically includes shooting pain, numbness or tingling that starts in the lower back and can travel down into the legs and feet. To learn more about sciatica, visit our Sciatica Page.

Common spinal conditions that can lead to sciatica include:

  • Herniated or bulging discs
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Spondylolisthesis
  • Bone spurs
  • Spinal osteoarthritis

If you have sciatica, your home treatment options will vary based on the specific cause of your condition. Since there are many different types of home remedies for sciatica, you may have to try several different strategies to find the one that works best for you.  Your doctor can help you determine the best at-home remedies for back pain depending on your medical history and the cause of your symptoms.

Home Treatment Options for Sciatica

A number of sciatica home treatment strategies exist to help you achieve a stronger, healthier spine which will lead to reducing your sciatic pain symptoms. Common home treatment strategies for sciatica include the following:

  • Stretching, walking or other low-impact exercises to facilitate the flow of healing nutrients and endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers, to the damaged area of the spine
  • Core strengthening exercises to provide spinal support and maintain spinal alignment
  • Alternating heat and ice packs to promote circulation and reduce inflammation
  • Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications or pain medication
  • Herbal remedies
  • Finding comfortable positions and avoiding uncomfortable ones
  • Keeping good posture and avoiding slouching

If you are interested in learning more about your personal options for sciatica home treatment, make sure to ask your care provider. He or she can give you an accurate diagnosis of your condition and help you find strategies to relieve pain.

When Sciatica Pain Persists

At times, home treatment and other conservative treatment options are unable to relieve sciatica pain after being fully explored. If you feel that you have exhausted your options, your doctor may recommend other treatment options or even surgery – depending on the severity and cause of your pain. At Spine & Orthopedic Center, our surgeons specialize in relieving neck and back pain through both minimally invasive spine surgery and complex procedures since not all cases are the same.  Our procedures offer you a number of benefits over traditional surgery, including a shorter recovery time and a lower risk of infection and complication.

If you have sciatica symptoms, and home treatment strategies are not helping to relieve this condition, please call a member of spine specialist team today at 888-409-8006.