Yoga, acupressure and
biofeedback can help relieve lower back pain
Sciatica Pain Relief
Naturally: Alternative Therapies
by Carlotta Cortes
Whatever the nature of your
sciatica, chronic, acute, or episodic, your first concern is likely
to be to obtain relief from the pain as the pain can be unbearable
at times. Mainstream sciatic nerve treatmentfocuses mainly on drug
induced pain relief, epidural steroid injections or surgery. The
advancement in information gathering tools has made people more
aware of the dangers of the side effects of conventional treatments.
This has resulted in an unprecedented increase in the popularity of
sciatica alternative remedies, like yoga, acupressure, acupuncture
and biofeedback along with preventive measures to avoid risks of
sciatica.
Yoga is the ancient Hindu discipline aimed at training the
consciousness for a state of perfect spiritual insight and
tranquility that is achieved through the three paths of actions,
knowledge and devotion. It is a system of exercise practiced as part
of the Hindu discipline to promote control of the body and mind.
Yoga is often misunderstood as only a workout regime. Yoga is in
fact what the name suggests - balancing mind and body. Specific
yogic exercises, especially in cases where sciatica is piriformis
syndrome induced, stretch and loosen the piriformis muscle thus
releasing the pressure that it is putting on the sciatic nerve.
Sciatica patients should, however, specifically mention their
condition to the instructor because some exercises, like forward
folds and twisting are not recommended for sciatica patients.
Acupuncture and acupressure have gained immense popularity in the
United States as well as all over Europe. Originated in China, these
ancient therapies are based on unblocking the flow of Qi or Chi,
(pronounced a ‘chee’) which is the vital energy force of the human
body that continuously circulates through Meridians. Acupuncture
attempts to restore the healthy flow of Qi throughout the body by
inserting fine needles at the precise points called Meridians.
Meridians are close to the skin surface and the needles are not
inserted deep into the tissue. Sterilized and disposable needles are
used which may have to be heated, twirled, or stimulated by some
other means during an acupuncture treatment. It is a painless
therapy which gives an immense amount of relief and relaxation and
should only be done by a licensed practitioner.
Acupressure, on the other hand, attempts to unblock Qi with the aid
of consistent pressure applied by thumbs, fingers, and elbows. The
acupressure and acupuncture pressure points, meridians, are
identical. It is a non-invasive and gentle therapy that has produced
encouraging results.
Howsoever far fetched that it may sound, biofeedback, a system of
self suggestion by which the patient “thinks his pain away” has
produced some very positive results in many patients of sciatica. A
controversial system as it has not been researched sufficiently for
full accreditation includes a special equipment to measure and send
information to the patients’ body based on his/her physiological
reactions to stimuli such as stress and muscle tension.
The most important aspect of sciatica alternative remedies is to
cure without side effects with as much emphasis on prevention as on
cure. Prevention is always better than cure. The encouraging factor
in such treatments is that even non-sciatica patients can make use
of these therapies to reduce the risk of compression of the sciatic
nerve, the main culprit behind sciatica.
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