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This topic has been broken into parts of a condition, known as sciatica, which afflicts many sufferers from this condition. As a professional therapist, I help a lot of people recover, who the medical profession has treated with conventional treatments for years, with no relief. In other articles I discussed symptoms and diagnosis. Here, I'll address treatment. I need to emphasize that this information is not for novices to try to treat sciatica, but for them to know what to look for in a practitioner and treatment approach.

Medical doctors tend to treat sciatica with pain-killers, hydrotherapy, muscle-relaxers, and physical therapy. All of those are legitimate ways to help the symptoms, but don't fix the problem, often. I usually get referred cases when all that has not worked, and the client's lifestyle is compromised by their condition. Acute sciatica is much easier to fix, but I don't get many cases that quickly. Injections and more extreme treatments can be avoided, if the patient can get proper therapy. Some physical therapists are pretty good at helping, but few are trained to re-align the structural misalignment that is the cause of the condition.

Forces, possibly lifting or other repetitive and awkward motions, and the muscles, which usually hold the pelvic structure in proper alignment, tense, causing the sciatic notch to change size and shape, not fitting the size and shape of the sciatic nerve. Reversing the condition is a matter of releasing the muscle tension, and encouraging the structure to align itself, by applying some positive pressure in the desired direction, and taking the legs and hips through very careful stretches, so it can find a return to its proper position. Proper training and experience in this maneuver is critical, since there is the possibility of causing more damage, if it's not done properly. So, be very careful in selecting a therapist.

Heat, for no more than fifteen minutes at a time, and cooling will help release the muscle tension, so the structure can find its proper position, and will help with the pain until it is repaired. I don't recommend ice, however, as it is too sever and promotes spasms, which is counterproductive. Electrical stimulation or ultra-sound can be very effective, also.

Treatment of sciatica should always include a plan to repair the condition, not just treat the pain. If the condition is not repaired, it can cause other associated conditions and become crippling; as if sciatica was not bad enough.

Learn more about this author, Will Kester.
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