Sciatic Nerve Pain Self Help
Are you suffering from sciatic nerve pain (sciatica)? What are you using to relieve the pain, heat or ice? Many have the misconception, when it comes to sciatic nerve pain treatment, that heat is what will ease the pain. There are many opinions when it comes to sciatica treatment but, the rule of thumb to use, is to base the decision on the symptoms.
~If there is inflammation present which is indicated by swelling along with intense sharp pain then, ice is what you will want to use, just as you would with a sprain.
~If you are experiencing mild stiffness or are a little sore then this indicates that there isn’t a significant amount of swelling which means that heat will not worsen the pain and can help ease it instead.
Anytime you experience an injury or trauma to the sciatic nerve, it is best to avoid using heat for at least 48 hours to make sure there is no inflammation and that it doesn’t develop. Whenever you are in doubt, it is always best to avoid using heat! Heat may feel while you are using it but heat also increases inflammation if it is present. Since heat blocks the nerves sensory receptor it may feel good until you remove the heat then, because heat increases inflammation, the pain will be much worse.
After many years of trying to ease the sciatic nerve pain with heat and only feel more intense pain once I removed the heat, I decided to try ice. This is when Discovered the above to be true, ice really does work when you first experience sciatica, it doesn’t feel comfortable when applied but does ease the pain considerably.
As for any injury where inflammation and swelling are present most doctors will recommend application of ice packs to help reduce swelling and inflammation. Ice is one of the best anti-inflammatory measures you can take even though it may not feel comfortable. The short term discomfort of applying ice packs will be rewarded in long term relief of sciatic nerve pain.
Some precautions you should take when using heat or ice to avoid skin irritation or damage are, first always place a cloth between the heat or ice pack and your skin. Second Do not apply the heat or ice pack if you have applied a topical analgesic such as, Icy Hot, Ben Gay, Theragesic, Biofreeze, or any other, until the effects have worn off completely as this can cause skin damage as well as irritation.
When applying heat or ice you should only apply it for twenty minuets once every two hours, once an hour if pain is severe but, to help avoid skin damage try to do it every two. hours. It will take time to feel the heat or cold through a cloth so, wait until you actually feel the heat or cold before you start timing.
If you suffer from impaired circulation or decreased skin sensitivity due to, diabetes, nerve damage, or anything else that causes reduced blood circulation, consult a doctor before applying ice or heat.
After many years of suffering from sciatica I finally found some information that help me cure my sciatica and also helped with long term preventive measures to keep it from recurring. Click Here to find out how I did it. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service