Calm Sciatic Pain with These 5 Natural Remedies
Sciatica, or sciatic pain, is the name for the pain that extends down the sciatic nerve, crossing the lower area of your back, glutes and into each leg.
The symptoms start because of a herniated disk, deformation or injury and it irritates a part of the nerve.
Because of this, it triggers an inflammatory reaction that’s often accompanied by pain, numbness and difficulties for the affected leg.
While sciatic pain can range in levels of intensity, it’s become one of the main causes of sick leave for the middle ages population.
So, in addition to conventional treatments, we recommend some natural, therapeutic remedies that will help to control it.
We want to take this opportunity to share some relevant information about the pain and 5 homemade solution to help accelerate your recuperation.
Causes of sciatica
Sciatic nerve pain, popularly known as sciatica, is caused by herniated disks which result in compression and inflammation in the spine or by excessive bone growth in the vertebrae.
It’s often because of doing something that requires a lot of strength, an injury or the deterioration that comes with diseases such as diabetes.
Risk factors
- Overweight or obesity
- Lifting objects that are too heavy
- Changes in the spine as a result of age
- Having a sedentary lifestyle
- Staying seated for too long
Symptoms of sciatic pain
A recurring feeling of sensitivity and pain for a long period of time in the sciatic nerve is the main symptom of this health problem.
Generally, other symptoms are:
- Constant pain in the glutes or in just one leg (it rarely affects both legs)
- Pain that gets worse when you sit
- Burning or tingling that spreads down to your legs
- Weakness, numbness or difficulty moving your leg
- Stinging pain that makes it difficult to stand or walk
Natural remedies to treat sciatica
Sciatica treatment is usually done through the use of anti inflammatory medications and muscle relaxers. However, as a complement to these, there are also homemade remedies that can help you get relief.
1. Onion
Although it doesn’t have the nicest smell, the anti inflammatory and relaxing components in onions can help to reduce sciatic nerve irritation.
How to use it?
- Cut the onion down the middle and, using the inside of one half, use small surcular motions to massage your back for 10 minutes.
- Repeat this twice a day, until you feel relief.
2. Cabbage leaves
The therapeutic properties of cabbage leaves can be used to naturally calm the symptoms of sciatica.
How to use it?
- Heat a lot of cabbage leaves and apply them to the pain.
- Keep them there for 10 minutes and, if necessary, repeat twice a day.
3. Ginger oil
Ginger oil contains an active compound known as gingerol that, in addition to working as an anti inflammatory, causes a heating sensation that helps decrease pain.
How to use it?
- Put a little ginger oil in the palms of your hands and massage onto the areas affected by sciatica.
- Do this for 8 to 10 minutes and then rest.
- Repeat every day until the pain goes away.
4. Garlic
Garlic contains active principles that help to improve blood circulation. This helps you recover from pain caused by injuries in the sciatic nerve.
How to use it?
- Eat one garlic clove on an empty stomach and repeat consumption before going to bed.
5. Marigold oil
This oil is popular because of its antibacterial and anti inflammatory properties. It’s an external-use medicinal product that helps to relieve various types of pain.
Massaging it onto the affected areas helps improve circulation and, therefore, reduces inflammation and helps with movement.
How to use it?
- Put a little marigold oil along the sciatic nerve, where you feel pain, and give yourself a nice massage for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Try to avoid a rough massage so that you don’t make the condition worse.
- Repeat this remedy twice a day.
Are you suffering from this pain? Keep in mind that, in addition to trying these remedies, you should avoid high-impact physical activity and any habits that could make the condition worse. Talk to a medical professional to learn about other types of therapy.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Caballero-Gutiérrez L, Gonzáles GF. Alimentos con efecto antiinflamatorio. Acta Med Peru. 2016;33(1):50-64. http://www.scielo.org.pe/pdf/amp/v33n1/a09v33n1.pdf
- Hwang, Y. H., Kim, T., Kim, R., & Ha, H. (2018). The Natural Product 6-Gingerol Inhibits Inflammation-Associated Osteoclast Differentiation via Reduction of Prostaglandin E₂ Levels. International journal of molecular sciences, 19(7), 2068. doi:10.3390/ijms19072068
- Lastra Valdés, Humberto, & Piquet García, Rosario. (1999). Calendula officinalis. Revista Cubana de Farmacia, 33(3), 188-194. Recuperado en 28 de febrero de 2019, de http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-75151999000300007&lng=es&tlng=es.
