Home Remedies that May Help Treat Sciatica
The sciatic nerve is the longest in the body. It starts around the lumbar vertebrae and extends down the back part of the thigh and legs, ending in the heel of the foot. The pain that travels along this “highway” is known as sciatica. In the following article, you’ll learn about remedies that may help treat sciatica.
What you need to know about “sciatica”
Sciatic pains and problems arise when pressure is put on the sciatic nerve, be it from a lesion on the lumbar vertebrae, muscle contractions in surrounding muscles, or nerve inflammation (known as neuritis). This pain can manifest in many different ways:
- Light tingling in the feet
- Cramps, spasms, or pains from the waist to the knee
- Sensations of fatigue or numbness
- “Electric shocks” in the legs that can continuously change position
- Severe pain that prevents normal walking
Who is most at risk of suffering from sciatic nerve pain?
- Those suffering from arthritis and osteoporosis
- Those who smoke
- People who continually lift heavy objects (for example at work or during physical activity)
Home remedies that may help treat sciatica
While intense pain should often be treated with prescription treatments given by a doctor, there are some friendly, and popular remedies that may helps with the symptoms of sciatic nerve painit just started bothering you.
Here are some of the most effective remedies that may help treat sciatica as soon as symptoms arise.
Potatoes
Cook 4 potatoes and mash them. Then spread the mashed potatoes on a large, clean cloth and apply to the aching lumbar region as if it were a compress. Secure it with a strap or tape so that it doesn’t move. Leave it there until it cools. Repeat this several times a day.
Onions
Cutting half an onion and massaging the inner part in circular motions on the affected area for about 10 minutes. Repeat this every hour and a half or two hours as necessary (you can always use the remaining half of the onion).
Cabbage
Applying several hot cabbage leaves to the sore area. Don’t remove the leaves until they’re no longer warm.
Hops
Prepare a compress made of hops. Boil this plant for 10 minutes and wrap it around the area that hurts with gauze. Make sure it’s as hot as you can tolerate without burning yourself. Cover it with a cloth to keep the heat in.
You can save the water to moisten the compress again (don’t forget to reheat it).
Massages
- Massaging the sciatic nerve with a mixture made up of two spoonfuls of sesame seed oil, and one teaspoon of ground ginger.
- Massaging the aching region with circular motions, using linseed or fish oil.
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Valerian and passion flower
Drinking an infusion of Valerian and passion flower to promote muscle relaxation around the sciatic nerve, especially when the pain is caused by pressure on the nerve from muscle contractions.
Radish
Cutting 50 grams of fresh radishes, washing them well without peeling, and adding them to a liter of white wine. Allow it to set for three weeks, filter, and drink two glasses a day, one after lunch, and one after dinner.
Infusions
- Pouring a cup of boiling water with two pinches of anise, two of marjoram, two of rosemary, and two of mint. Allow this to rest for five minutes and drink before sleeping.
- Boiling a small piece of willow bark in a half liter of water for 15 minutes. Strain to get rid of any sediment and drink a cup every 8 hours. The salicin found in the bark will ease the pain.
- Mixing one tablespoon of thyme, one of green nettle, and one of oregano with a liter of water. Boil for 15 minutes, turn off the burner, let it settle, and then strain. Drink twice a day.
Various compresses
- Boiling a handful of rosemary in a half liter of water for five minutes. Let a cloth absorb the vapors from the water. Then soak the cloth in vinegar and use it to rub the hurting regions.
- Pouring 300 ml of water in with a handful of bran and a handful of mint, and mixing vigorously. Heat for 8 minutes. Soak a cloth or cotton and apply to the affected area, and allow it to set for an hour.
- Pouring a cup of boiling water mixed with a teaspoon of powdered mistletoe. Cover and leave it to soak all night. Reheat the following morning and put it on the affected zone in the form of a compress.
Especial massage oil to help treat sciatica
Mixing one liter of olive oil, 150 grams of marigold, 100 grams of plantain, and 200 grams of hypericum. Bring to a slow boil for four hours. Let it cool, strain, and store in a glass jar with an airtight lid in a dark space for one month.
Massage softly onto regions where you experience sciatic nerve pain.
Some other remedies that may help treat sciatica
- Pouring a handful of washed pine leaves into a bottle of wine. Allow them to marinate for seven days and then add one tablespoon of honey. Drink for 40 days straight before sleeping.
- Mixing potato juice with either celery juice, beet juice, or carrot juice. Drink one glass a day.
- Drinking plenty of water. Water is an excellent alternative that may help treat sciatic nerve pain since it increases blood circulation.
- Mixing two cloves of pureed garlic with a half cup of warm milk and drinking twice daily for an entire week. Be careful with the garlic because it’s not advisable to eat garlic if you’re taking anticoagulants, suffering from ulcers, or having problems with hemorrhages.
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.
- Valat, J. P., Genevay, S., Marty, M., Rozenberg, S., & Koes, B. (2010). Sciatica. Best Practice and Research: Clinical Rheumatology. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.13672
- Bertram Watson, W. (1912). The diagnosis and treatment of sciatica. British Medical Journal. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.1.2678.946
- Stafford, M. A., Peng, P., & Hill, D. A. (2007). Sciatica: A review of history, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and the role of epidural steroid injection in management. British Journal of Anaesthesia. https://doi.org/10.1093/bja/aem238
