Treating Sciatica Naturally: Home Remedies & Foods for Lower Back Pain

Estimates suggest that one in every hundred people suffer from lower back pain due to sciatica. The prevalence of back pain due to sciatica increases with age, with 50% of all cases of back pain above the age of 60 years being attributed to sciatica. Sciatica is a nerve-related condition that causes excruciating pain and discomfort, due to the impingement of the sciatic nerve.



Causes of Sciatica: Sciatica Symptoms
The most common etiological factor for the occurrence of sciatica is pressure from a herniated disc. Another important cause is the Piriformis Syndrome. The piriformis muscle puts pressure on to the sciatic nerve when it gets imbalanced, thereby, making the pelvic bones displaced, and compressing the sciatic nerve. Spinal canal stenosis causes inflammation because of continuous pressure on the sciatic nerve.

Common clinical features of sciatica include: lower back pain that radiates down to the posterior aspect of the thighs and calves, sometimes causing pain in the ankles and toes as well. Tingling numbness is an associated feature. Dietary prescriptions and exercises can help alleviate the pain and discomfort and also ward off aggravations.

Home Remedies for Sciatica: Lower Back Pain Remedies

Foods have immense healing and curative powers. Research says, certain specific food prescriptions are known to manage the pain and ‘pins and needles’ sensation associated with sciatica and treat sciatica successfully. Make sure you incorporate these foods in to your daily diet.

Radish is beneficial
for treatment of sciatica

• Garlic: Garlic is a potent inflammation fighter. It can assuage pain, boost blood circulation, and also provide the body with energy and vigor. Have two flakes of raw garlic everyday.
• Horse radish: horse radish is an excellent home remedy for the management of sciatica. Mince fresh horse radish and make a poultice; apply this to the painful areas, and leave on for half an hour. This stimulates the sciatica nerve and will proffer relief from the pain.
• Essential oils: aroma oils such as: Clove Oil, Cardamom Oil and Ginger Oil are decidedly beneficial in the treatment of sciatica. These oils help lessen the pain appreciably and decrease the discomfort and distress associated with the condition. Blend these oils with a carrier oil, such as, coconut oil or sesame seed oil and massage the lower back and the back of the legs daily.

Diet for Sciatica: Lower Back Pain Diet

Here are some diet prescriptions for managing Lower back pain due to sciatica,

• You must ensure that the protein consumption is good. Also, ensure that you have soy in some form everyday. Excellent sources of proteins are: meat, eggs, chicken, legumes and milk.
• Vitamin B rich foods: supplementing your diet with vitamin B is very essential; vitamin B is crucial for optimal nerve health. Excellent sources of the vitamin are: whole grains, nuts, spinach, peas, meat, beef, pinto beans, bananas, soy, and legumes. Make sure that you get a generous dose of these foods on a daily basis. Doctors also recommend starting a vitamin B complex supplement daily. Vitamin B complex helps manage tingling numbness and pain effectively.



Virbhadrasana is effective
in Sciatica managment

• Carrot ought to be a part of your everyday diet. Have one glass of carrot juice everyday. Carrot supplies the body with most of the essential vitamins and minerals that keep the nerves functioning normally.

Exercises and Stretches For Sciatica: Exercise for Lower Back Pain  

All health care professionals stress on the need for exercising and physiotherapy. Exercises stretch the muscles, ligaments and tendons and reinforce them; they ease pain and stiffness and thus improve the range of motion, and consequently enhance the quality of life. Sustained practice is very vital for quick relief of pain.

Certain yoga exercises like Virbhadrasana and Gaumukhasana are considered beneficial for lower back pain management. 

Treating Lower Back Pain: Homeopathy and Home Remedies for Backache

Lower back pain (LBP) is associated with disabling pain and is responsible for approximately $26.3 billion lost annually due to loss of productivity. It affects approximately 25% of American population and is the fifth most common cause for physician visit in the United States, as per University of Missouri- Columbia. Fortunately there are certain options of self therapy and homeopathy which have been found to be effective in the management of LBP

Lower Back Pain Causes

Lower back pain is a symptom which is associated with a wide range of conditions. It should be noted that in 85% of the patients with lower back pain, no organic cause can be identified. Some of the leading causes include,

Lower Back pain

• Nerve root syndrome: Herniation of the disc, spinal disc degeneration, Spondylosis and cauda equine syndrome are some of the identified causes
• Fibromyalgia and Musculoskeletal pain syndromes are another common cause of lower back pain
• Infection of the bones can result in inflammation and subsequently result in lower back pain. non infectious inflammation as observed in ankylosing spondilitis is another common cause
• Tumors of the spinal cord and injuries have also been associated with lower back pain
• Pressure from the surrounding organs including conditions like uterine prolapsed in females; pelvic inflammatory disease, etc result in pull on the ligaments, which is associated with lower back pain.
• Obesity and pregnancy are also associated with lower back pain, due to change in the body contour and undue strain on the lower back

Homeopathy to treat lower back pain

Homeopathy is been practiced for over a century now and is considered to be a very beneficial complementary system of medicine. Homeopathy provides great relief in musculoskeletal disorders and helps patients avoid the use of non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs.

• Bryonia Album: A homeopathic drug with profound influence on muscular and skeletal system is considered very beneficial for lower back pain. Bryonia aids in muscle relaxation and also helps in reducing edema and inflammation in joints and thereby alleviates pain
• Rhus Tox: Rhus Tox is a drug that complements the action of Bryonia and also aids in muscle relaxation. The indications for use of Rhus Tox are ideally when the pain is associated with a trauma or injury.
• Arnica Montana: Arnica is also useful in reliving joint and back pain. Arnica is useful in managing lower back pain associated with blunt trauma, especially when associated with a possibility of intramuscular bleeding or edema

Home Remedies for Lower Backache

Here are some simple home remedies that have been found effective in the management of lower back pain,

Massage is beneficial
for LBP

• Research has shown that massage has been very beneficial in the management of lower back pain. Massage with clove oil is considered very beneficial. Clove oil helps in muscle relaxation and alleviates pain. Massaging with turpentine oil is also considered beneficial
• Khaskhas has been known to be beneficial in relieving pain. Khaskhas has a sedative action and helps in muscle relaxation and alleviating the pain
• Hot water fermentation helps increase blood circulation to the affected area which in turn helps improves the condition and reduce the inflammatory reaction.
• Rest is crucial to recover from back pain. A diet rich in calcium and vitamins is an integral part of back pain management. Calcium helps improve the strength of the bone and manages osteoporosis which is also a leading cause of back pain
• Yoga or simple exercises targeted on the back region also help increase the range of movement of the lower back region and aid in lower backache relief