If you’ve been suffering from sciatica for awhile, you probably know just how ineffective and expensive all the traditional treatments can be. Chiropractor visits and physical therapy aren’t cheap, and you have to keep going back over and over again. Painkillers don’t really fix the problem, but your doctor keeps giving them to you anyway.
Surely there has got to be a better alternative. If you’re at your wit’s end and you’re ready to explore some alternative treatments for sciatica, check out these 7 unconventional home remedies:
Ice Packs – Some people aren’t sure if they should use heat or ice for back pain. Let me clear this up once and for all. In the beginning, you want to use ice. Ice will decrease inflammation in the affected area and help to numb and relax the muscles. Sure, you can use heat, but not at first. Heat will increase inflammation, so always use ice first.
Garlic – Eating plenty of garlic is a great way to combat inflammation. Garlic is an incredibly powerful spice that not only adds flavor, but can help with all sorts of health conditions. For your purpose, though, it helps to ease inflammation and help improve circulation by reducing cholesterol.
Mustard Massage – Mixing mustard oil with minced garlic can produce a concoction that you can then massage into your skin in the affected area. Though, I’ve never tried this myself, I’ve heard that it can help to numb the pain and relax the muscles.
Lemon – Lemon juice is great for keep uric acid from depositing in your tissues. This is excellent for sciatica, since too much uric acid can cause crystal-like deposits to form in your cartilage that can result is a lot of pain. Although elevated uric acid levels are commonly associated with gout and arthritis, I’m sure you can see how they might also cause sciatica.
Elderberry – Many homeopaths have used elderberry to treat pain. It has properties that allow it to relax tense muscles and stimulate them. It shouldn’t be difficult to find elderberry tea at a store with a decent selection.
Nutmeg Oil – Nutmeg is another natural remedy for sciatica. Nutmeg has long been used as a pain reliever since it can ease inflammation around sensitive tissue and increase blood flow to that area. Nutmeg oil is best when massaged directly into the tender area.
Horseradish – Horseradish can be used to desensitize your body’s pain receptors so that the pain you feel from sciatica will be reduced. For best results you will want to massage the horseradish into the affected area and leave it there for at least one hour before cleaning up.
So, if you’ve seemingly tried everything to get rid of your sciatica, but you’re unable to find that lasting relief, maybe it’s time you started looking a little off the beaten path. Natural medicine has been able to help countless people and it might be worth a shot. The only thing you’ve got to lose is your sciatica pain.
