Castor oil has been used for a very long time against many different health conditions. It was one of the most used products in ancient India as well.
According to medical studies, this oil contains a lot of healthy fatty acids. It possesses analgesic, laxative, antibacterial and antiviral properties.
It can effectively ease constipation, sciatica, arthritis and back pain. It improves hair growth and hydrates the skin.
Castor oil solves gastrointestinal problems, boost the function of the immune system and it can also be used on sebum cysts, warts, bug bites, wounds and acne. It is effective against viruses and inflammation as well.
This oil is part of the cosmetic industry, rubber industry and textile industry.
How to use castor oil for sciatica, back pain and arthritis
Massage the affected area with the oil several times a day. Continue the massages until the condition improves.
Sciatic nerve pain is horrible. Anyone who has ever had to suffer through it knows exactly how excruciating and debilitating it can often be. While there are several different variations, the condition is most generally described as lower back pain that starts around the base of the spine. It radiates down and outwards from there, through the buttocks, body, and legs. A majority of those who experience it report pain in the thigh area and for some it extends even further, all the way down to their feet.
Sciatica is commonly referred to as sciatic nerve pain because it’s caused by either pressure or pinching of the nerves that travel from the spinal cord to the sciatic nerves. The areas surrounding the nerves in the lower back become irritated and inflamed, which in turn causes an intense shooting type of pain to travel out along affected nerves.
The pain from sciatica can be so bad and acute that all people can do is lay in bed and wait for it to pass. It makes everyday life unbearable and little things like sneezing, coughing, or turning over just exacerbate it even more. Instead of bearing through it, there are some things you can do to help alleviate the pain that don’t involve drugs or painkillers. Here are 5 all-natural ways to help manage the discomfort of a sciatica flare up:
1. Yoga or Light Exercise- Any type of movement may be the last thing you feel up for doing, but it’s the best thing you can do for your body. Physical therapists and doctors often instruct patients to do light yoga stretches and certain exercises that target the affected area. Many people who have stuck with the exercise plans have reported finding immense relief and that’s why it’s considered the best thing you can do for your body when nerve pain flares up. Also, try to stay active and strengthen your core to help prevent future flare ups. This is where yoga comes in again because it’s one of the easiest ways to condition your body and get into shape.
Try this simple stretch and watch the video at the end of this article for further detail:
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2. Massage- Different massage techniques can be utilized to help loosen up tight muscles and alleviate aches and pains. Oftentimes deep tissue massage is especially effective for treating muscle spasms and numbness. It works great at stimulating blood flow and helps open up any blockages.
3. Acupuncture- Many people have found relief for their sciatica pain with this ancient form of traditional Chinese medicine. Ultra fine, extremely thin needles are inserted through the skin into specific points on the body which target different types of aches, pains, and symptoms. When performed by a trained specialist, it’s practically painless, and it’s definitely worth giving a try.
4. Hot and Cold Therapy- By switching from cold to hot you can ease the pain and discomfort from sciatica. Apply a cold compress to the area first for about 20-30 minutes. After that, place a heating pad or hot compress on the same spot. When you alternate between hot and cold temperatures you’re stimulating the area, increasing circulation, and aiding you’re body in the fight against inflammation. You can repeat the cold/hot process as often as you’d like, plus it gives you something else to focus on.
5. Limit Certain Activities- Ones that place a lot of stress on the lower back should be limited. Those who suffer re-current flare ups usually know what causes their sciatica to act up and can therefore avoid certain activities which they have linked to the onset of pain. By resting and limiting activities, pain can be reduced and for most people, around 90%, it disappears completely within 3-6 weeks. The main physical activity that is especially bad is either bending or folding forwards. This should be avoided at all costs! In the accompanying CureJoy video Brett Larkin goes over why this is so. She sheds a lot of light on sciatic nerve pain and has more than a few great tips on how to work a little bit of yoga and some gentle stretches into your recovery approach. You’ll learn something new so check out her short and straight to the point video!
Hopefully these tips turn out to be beneficial to your health and overall well-being. Please share and help spread this information to others so they too may find relief from their sciatic nerve pain.
Sciatica pain radiates downwards from the lower back, back of the thigh, between the calves and into the foot. Numbness and tingling may radiate into the foot. Inflammation near a degenerating inter-vertebral disk, a slipped disc, a pinched nerve, narrowing of spinal canal, and aging can cause sciatica. Alternative treatments include chiropractic manipulation, acupuncture, and massage therapy.
If you have been wondering what sciatica is and how its treated, you are not alone. Sciatica is actually a symptom of an underlying medical condition and not a diagnosis in itself, contrary to the belief of many.
Generally, it presents itself in the form of sharp pain affecting the back, hip, and outer side of the leg. Usually, the pain is sensed on one side of the body, typically from the low back to behind the thigh and searing down below the knee. It is due to the exasperation of the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body. The symptoms can vary from infrequent and irritating to constant and incapacitating pain.
Symptoms Of Sciatica
Specific sciatica symptoms can be different in location and severity, depending upon the condition causing sciatica. The pain can be debilitating, and without proper treatment, lasting sciatic nerve damage can result.
The specific sciatica symptoms, include, but are not limited to leg pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, and symptoms that radiate into the foot depending on where the nerve is pinched.
Causes of Sciatica
A substantial percentage of the cause(s) behind this medical condition often result from a compression of a spinal nerve root in the lower back, due to the degeneration of an intervertebral disk, down in the lumbar spine. Termed as the Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease, the condition is surprisingly a natural process that occurs with aging.
Degenerative disc disease is diagnosed when a weakened disc results in excessive micro-motion at that spinal level, and inflammatory proteins from inside the disc become exposed and irritate the nerve root(s) in the area.
The Lumbar Herniated Disc is another notorious culprit behind the sciatica pain. It occurs when the soft inner core of the disc (nucleus pulposus) leaks out, or herniates, through the fibrous outer core, called the annulus, and irritates the contiguous nerve root.
Also known as a slipped disk or a pinched nerve, sciatica is an ally of the lumbar herniated disc.
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, commonly due to a narrowing of the spinal canal, is another medical condition that could earn you sciatica pain. Lumbar spinal stenosis is related to natural aging in the spine and is relatively common in adults over the age 60.
The narrowing of the spinal canal may result from a combination of one or more of the following:
Enlarged facet joints
Overgrowth of soft tissue
A bulging disc placing pressure on the nerve roots, causing sciatica pain
Other medical conditions that are top suspects behind sciatica pain include Piriformis syndrome. It is an irritation of the as it runs under the piriformis muscle in the buttock and Sacroiliac joint dysfunction, which is the irritation of the sacroiliac joint that is located at the bottom of the spine.
Been Ignoring Your Back Pain?
Think again. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NIH), about 5% – 10% of lower back pain is caused by Sciatica. However, regular exercises go a long way to relieving the pain. With severe sciatic nerve pain, the condition may need to be treated so that it does not get worse over time.
When the pain is severe or does not get better on its own, a more structured treatment approach, such as surgery, may offer the best approach to finding pain relief. Initial treatment is typically managed with pain medications, and it is usually recommended that one continues with activities to the best of their abilities.
Most reported cases subside in less than six to eight weeks. While surgery often speeds pain improvement, it should be the last resort. Surgery may be required if complications occur such as bowel or bladder problems.
Other Treatment Options
In addition to regular medical treatments, several substitute treatments have also been shown to provide operative sciatica pain relief for many patients. Three of the more common forms of alternative care for sciatica include chiropractic manipulation, acupuncture, and massage therapy.
If you think you or someone you know may have Sciatica, you should make an appointment with your doctor.
Standards of care dictate that an MRI is indicated for patients who have herniated disc-related sciatica, often described as severe lower back and leg pain, which does not respond to conservative care after 6 weeks. Compressive etiologies and particularly the severity of the compressive lesion are thought to guide the physician’s choice toward either surgery, or a continued conservative regimen including possible epidural steroid injections.
Abdelilah el Barzouhi, MD, PhD and colleagues called this practice into question in a recent issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. What they found was that “MRI has no value in the decision making between early surgery and prolonged conservative care.”
For those patients suffering from their first bout of sciatica, the prognosis is good. In fact, 60%-80% will have a spontaneous resolution of the leg pain after the initial 6-8 week period. According to the authors, “A recent systematic review, which evaluated the probability of spontaneous regression among different types of lumbar herniated discs, found a rate of spontaneous regression of 96% for disc sequestration, 70% for disc extrusion, and 41% for disc protrusion.” Seemingly the worse the lesion, the better the prognosis, and this is what the researchers found.
The Sciatica Trial The study included 283 patients with severe first occurrence sciatic symptoms persisting between 6-12 weeks. To be eligible for the sciatica trial, patients needed to have a dermatomal pattern of pain distribution, neurological abnormalities, and compressive MRI findings that all correlated to the same nerve root. Patients were randomized to either early surgery (n=141) or prolonged conservative care (n=142) for 6 months followed by surgery for those not improved or earlier surgery for those who needed it due to pain. In the conservative care group, 55 had surgical intervention by 1-year follow-up.
Results The patients who had nerve root compression on MRI tended to have a higher, although nonsignificant rate of recovery than those without compression (HR: 1.34, P=.10). They also had less severe leg pain during the 1-year follow-up (P<.001), a more favorable Roland Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) score (P=.01), and a lower visual analog (VAS) back pain score (P=.02).
The patients who had a disc extrusion compared to protrusion tended to have a higher although non-significant rate of recovery (HR: 1.15, P=.10). They also had less severe leg pain (P=.006), a lower VAS back pain score (P=.02), but not a more favorable RDQ score (P=.07).
The size of the disc herniation was not associated with either rate of recovery or leg pain, nor did it affect the decision to have surgery in the conservative group. The authors commented, “In a subanalysis involving only patients who were randomized to conservative care, we compared the disc herniation size between those who crossed over to surgery (n=55) and those who did not (n=87). Large disc herniations (≥ 50% of the spinal canal) were nearly equally distributed between those who did and those who did not undergo surgery (24% vs 21%, P =0.65).”
Possibly even more surprising was the fact that larger herniations were not associated with better outcomes in the surgery group. “From a clinical viewpoint, we expected a larger-size disc herniation at baseline to be associated with a better outcome in the surgically treated cohort during follow-up than in the conservatively treated patients. However, the presence of large disc herniations (present in 21% of our included patients) showed no prognostic value, irrespective of surgical or prolonged conservative treatment.”
One explanation for these findings is that the etiology of sciatica could be both compressive and non-compressive (inflammatory). The authors reasoned “a noncompressive (possibly inflammatory) cause of sciatica may be more difficult to resolve spontaneously. The present study in 283 patients with sciatica, as well as 2 earlier studies, support this theory and found a better prognosis for patients with clear nerve root compression on MRI.”
Complications were minimal, occurring in only 1.6% of surgical cases and all resolved spontaneously.
Conclusions The authors discussed MRI with some caveats. “The marked increase in rates of lumbar spine surgery has partly been linked to the increased availability of advanced diagnostic imaging techniques. Moreover, spine imaging may have an adverse effect; ie, telling patients they have an imaging abnormality can lead to unintended harm related to disease labeling.”
The authors concluded that MRI doesn’t help to guide the sciatic patient to surgery or conservative care, but “may be informative to predict the patient’s prognosis in sciatica.”
The sciatic nerve is known to be the largest nerve in the human body. It starts from each side of the lower spine and goes through deep in the buttocks right into the back of the thigh and ends way down in the foot. It has a major importance in connecting the spinal cord with the legs and foot muscles. The location of the sciatic nerve makes it in charge of the movement and the strength of our legs.
Any kind of pain felt along the sciatic nerve is known as sciatica pain, or just sciatica. It happens when injuries or pressure falls on the sciatic nerve. Sciatica pain causes discomfort and ache in the lower back including the hips, buttocks, and the legs. Some people even mistake it for cramps. Intense pain can develop along the entire length of the leg and is described as being “intolerable” by many people. Sciatica pain during pregnancy is also pretty common because of pressure on the sciatic nerve from the developing uterus. Sciatic nerve pain is usually repetitive and most people don’t know how they got it in the first place or what they can do to prevent it from reoccurring again.
According to research, around 40% of the world population will go through this problem at least once in their lifetime. Some people take help from medications and even surgery to correct their nerve problems. But the good news is, around 90% of people recover from sciatica without surgery.
Chiropractic spinal adjustments along with acupuncture, yoga, and massage therapy are some alternative treatment approaches that have been proven effective for sciatica.
The list below features eight natural treatments for sciatica that you can use to alleviate sciatica pain symptoms.
1. Acupuncture
Acupuncture can be used as one of the alternative sciatica pain remedies. It is a Chinese medicinal practice which involves inserting needles as fine as hair at certain body points. It is intended to help boost energy and improve nerve function. It has been approved by the FDA as a treatment for back pain. Different studies reveal that it relieves chronic pain of all kinds, including sciatica pain relief. Just the first treatment session works wonders. So, a few more sessions can truly make a difference in relieving sciatic nerve pain.
2. Chiropractic Spinal Adjustments
Sciatica can be diagnosed by a physical exam by a chiropractor. The chiropractor then readjusts the spinal discs while avoiding protrusion into the canal, aiming at the primary source of the pain. According to research, chiropractic adjustments can be fruitful since they can lessen pain, treat inflammation, and restore mobility as well. One study published in the Official Journal of the North American Spinal Society even reveals that those people who received chiropractic adjustments experienced less local pain, less number of days with pain, and a fewer cases of moderate or severe pain compared to those people who didn’t receive any adjustments.
3. Using Ice Packs
Ice packs are a great source of getting rid of sciatica. If you want to get instant mitigation of the pain, you can use a simple pack of frozen peas wrapped in a towel and place it directly on the painful area. Leave it on for 20 minutes for every three hours and the pain will diminish by a huge degree.
4. Ice Packs And Hot Baths
Even though ice packs provide instant relief, they cannot treat the deeper-set inflammation. The sciatic nerve is deep within the body. That is why you should apply a hot pack directly after you use the ice pack. Even taking a hot shower works.
This change of temperatures will encourage circulation and lymph flow. It will thus treat the inflammation and also quicken the healing process. Adding essential oils, herbs, or Epsom salts to your bath can bring about better results too.
5. Yoga And Stretches
Certain movements can sometimes heighten and worsen the pain. But they might also help get rid of the pain in some instances. Exercises help a lot when it comes to curing sciatica. Practicing yoga and various kinds of stretches can prove to be really effective in a huge way. Yoga will not only help you develop a good posture, but it will also reduce stiffness, inflammation, and pain. Yoga is deemed safe and effective for those suffering from sciatic nerve pain.
6. Massages
Massages are tremendously beneficial while treating sciatica. Trigger-point therapies or deeper massaging can alleviate pain, muscle spasms, and even numbness of the legs and toes. Using herb-infused oils and essential oils during the therapy and massage sessions also works wonders.
7. Using Herbs And Oils
Herbs are one of the most effective sciatica pain treatments. Natural herbs can be used to decrease inflammation and pain. These herbs can also be used through salves, liniments, capsules, and different oils. But you first need to contact your doctor before you start using them so that you can be sure they don’t interfere with any prior medications you have been taking. Some of the most helpful herbs you can use are turmeric or curcumin, devil’s claw, white willow bark, roman chamomile, mullein roots, milky oat tops, licorice, clary sage, and lavender, kratom, linden flower, skullcap, St. John’s wort, and arnica among others.
8. Adequate Naps
In order to maintain your nerve health, you need to get enough sleep so that you can relax your muscles and recuperate from the daily weariness. Sufficient naps will not only strengthen your nerves, but they will also help in rejuvenating them.
Not all of these alternative sciatica pain remedies have been confirmed by science, but countless people have verified that they have had substantial improvement because of them. According to these people, the above treatments have helped them with not only sciatica, but also cramps and spasms as well.
However, if you happen to experience sciatica symptoms for more than a couple of weeks, you should consult your doctor immediately, since chances of you having other conditions are also probable.
Please SHARE this useful information with your friends and families! Sources: fitlife.tv | complete-health-and-happiness.com
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