Ways To Relieve and Manage Sciatica Pain

If you’re between the ages of 30 and 50 and find yourself experiencing pain, weakness, or numbness in your leg, you may be one of the 10 to 40 percent of the population experiencing sciatica. Sciatica is a condition typically caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve, which travels from the lower back to the legs. While not typically dangerous, the pain can affect mobility, making everyday tasks difficult. Fortunately, knowing some ways to relieve and manage sciatica pain will help you get back on your feet.

Physical Therapy

A herniated disk in the back is typically what causes pressure on the sciatic nerve. A herniated disk occurs when one of the disks between your vertebrae ruptures and some of the central nucleus comes out. This sounds serious, but it typically doesn’t require intervention. However, strengthening and stretching the muscles in that area can reduce the pain. For that reason, some doctors may recommend physical therapy for sciatica patients. Even if you don’t do therapy, taking time to stretch your legs and lower back can offer relief.

Hot and Cold Therapy

Heat and cold have long been used to reduce multiple types of pain, and sciatica pain is no exception. However, there are ways to use this type of treatment effectively. For the best results to reduce and manage sciatica pain, keep these principles in mind:

•Use cold therapy first, then hot.

•Don’t use therapies for too long to avoid damaging your skin.

•For cold therapy, gently massage the affected areas with ice in a circular motion.

•For heat therapy, use hot water bottles or heat pads for short bursts and low-level heat wraps for longer bursts.

Cold therapy will numb the area while reducing muscle spasms and inflammation, while heat will increase blood flow and tissue metabolism while relaxing the muscles.

TENS Units

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS, treatments are used for a wide variety of muscle pain. But they can be especially useful for sciatica. A TENS unit will send a low-grade electrical signal to your nerves through electrodes placed on the skin. This reduces pain signals in your nerves to relieve and manage sciatica pain.

Sciatica pain can make doing everyday tasks challenging, but you can take control of your life again. Here at TensUnits.com, we have wireless rechargeable TENS units designed to bring relief to your unique pain scenario.