Finding a fast cure for sciatic pain can help relieve the significant discomfort associated with the condition and get patients back on their feet. While no method of pain relief is instant, patients who suffer from sciatica can significantly reduce their pain levels by treating the pain in several ways at once. Medications, exercises, and ice and heat therapy are the best ways to relieve sciatica pain.
Over-the-counter medications can help relieve swelling and pain from sciatica. Acetaminophen helps reduce pain, while aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen help eliminate swelling and inflammation around the nerve that leads to irritation. Prescription-strength pain killers are reserved for people who suffer from severe pain that inhibits their daily activities. Many prescription pain killers are addictive, so they are usually only used for short periods.
Topical medications that contain salicylates work similar to oral aspirin pills, and rubbing the cream into the lower back, hip, and leg can help relieve nerve pain. Other topical pain killers include counter-irritant creams and gels that provide a fast cure for sciatic pain in mild cases. These creams create a sensation of warmth or cold that can temporarily soothe the area.
Though sciatica pain may make patients feel like staying in bed, exercising can help relieve pain. Gentle movement and stretching can help relieve nerve pain and reduce the severity of future pain. Stretching the hamstring muscles along the backs of the thighs helps as well. Strengthening the abdominal muscles by doing crunches and other stomach exercises helps provide support for the lower back, which can ease pain.
Low-impact aerobic exercises, such as swimming, walking, or bicycling, helps strengthen the entire body and improves posture. Keeping the shoulders, spine, and hips in alignment when standing, sitting, and exercising can help prevent muscle spasms around the nerve. Taking frequent breaks and changing positions often when standing or sitting for long periods of time can also help relieve lower back pain by preventing compression on the same area of the nerve.
Ice and heat can help relieve sciatic pain and inflammation as well. Icing the lower back, hip, leg, or any area prone to sciatic pain for 20 minutes several times a day for the first few days after the pain starts can help numb the area and reduce swelling. After several days of ice therapy, warming the area with a heating pad or hot water bottle for 20 to 30 minutes can help relax tense muscles and improve blood flow to the area, which promotes healing.
