Sciatica

[Fae Oonagh]

Sciatica Home Remedies
Sciatica is a painful condition affecting the sciatic nerve, which is the longest nerve in the body. It extends from the lower spine through the pelvis, thighs, down into the legs and ends at the heels. When this nerve gets pinched or pulled (usually because of over-exertion), the resulting back pain can be excruciating.

The symptoms of sciatica include:
Hot pain in the buttock
Aching in the buttock, back of the thigh (hamstring) and calf
Pain in the ankle and foot
Pins and needles
Increased pain when lifting, straining or coughing
Loss of power to the muscles of the leg and foot.
The home remedies we describe may not cure the condition entirely, but they may help ease the pain.

Pain-Relieving Juices

The juice from potatoes has been said to help sciatica sufferers. So has celery juice. If you don't have a juicer, a health food store with a juice bar might be willing to accommodate you. Have them juice a 10-ounce combination of potato and celery juice. Add carrots and/or beets to improve the taste.
In addition to the juice, drink a couple of cups of celery tea throughout the day.

Stimulate the sciatic nerve by applying a fresh minced horseradish poultice to the painful area. Keep it on for one hour at a time.
Add Some Garlic

Vitamin B1 and garlic may be very beneficial. Eat garlic raw in salads and use it in cooking. Also, take garlic supplements daily, plus 10 mg of vitamin B1 along with a good B-complex vitamin.
CAUTION: Do not eat garlic or take garlic supplements if you have a bleeding disorder or ulcers, or are taking anticoagulants.

If you are taking any kind of medication, check with your health professional before taking garlic supplements.

A hot water bag on the painful area may help you make it through the night with less pain and more sleep.
Drink elderberry juice and elderberry tea throughout the day.
Gentle exercises to strengthen and support the lower back.
Before bedtime, heat olive oil and use it to massage the painful areas.
Eat lots of watercress and parsley every day.
According to the Germans, eating a portion of raw sauerkraut every day prevents sciatica.
Sleeping on a mattress that is neither too soft, nor too hard
Be Well-Red

Polish folk healers tell their patients who suffer from sciatica to wear woolen long underwear-red only-and carry a raw beet in their hip pocket.
We heard about a man who went from doctor to doctor seeking help. Nothing worked. As a last resort, the man followed the advice of an alternative medicine practitioner who recommended garlic milk.
The man minced two cloves of garlic, put them in 1/2 cup of milk and drank it down (without chewing the pieces of garlic). He had the garlic milk each morning and each evening. Within a few days, he felt some relief. Within two weeks, all the pain had completely disappeared

Water has tremendous therapeutic value for a sciatic condition. It can reduce the pain and improve circulation. Take a long, hot bath or shower and follow it with a short cold shower. If you can't stand the thought of a cold shower, then follow up the hot bath with ice cold compresses on the painful areas