Archive for April, 2008

Sciatica Nerve Pain Symptoms, Treatment for Relief

Sciatica is the term used to describe symptoms when you have a sciatic nerve issue.

Your sciatic nerve is a large nerve running from the lower back down the back of each leg and into your foot. It controls the muscles in the back of your knee, lower leg, and gives feeling to:

  • sole of your foot
  • part of your lower leg
  • the back of your thigh

When you have sciatica, you might experience:

  • pain
  • tingling
  • weakness
  • numbness

This feeling can start in your lower back and run all the way down your leg to your calf, foot and toes. Usually only disturbing one side of the body.

Causes of sciatica may be due to:

In many cases no cause can be found. And in most cases, sciatica heals on its own, given time and rest.

Self help treatments include:

  • hot or cold therapy on painful muscles
  • bed rest for a couple of days for inflammation reduction
  • after initial rest period, get moving to help reduce inflammation
  • nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ~ ibuprofen, aspirin or muscle relaxants for pain relief

Start stretching exercises and short walks as soon as possible.

If sciatica pain persists for more than 3 months, discuss it with your health care provider for possible cortisone drug injections or surgical options.

What Causes Cramps and Preventing Muscle Severe Leg, Calf Muscle Cramps Treatment

Muscle cramps are sudden, involuntary contractions that can last for several minutes, most often occurring after exercise or at night. It is not uncommon to experience a leg, calf or abdominal muscle cramp.

Common causes of muscle cramps are:

  • dehydration
  • lack of minerals
  • strain/overuse of a muscle
  • not enough blood getting to your muscles

Too little potassium, calcium or magnesium in your diet can cause depletion/lack of these minerals in your body. Also, some diuretics prescribed for high blood pressure can cause potassium loss resulting in muscle cramps.

Not enough blood getting to muscles can be caused by arteriosclerosis in your extremities. This reduction in blood flow can produce cramp-like pain in your legs, calves and feet during exercise, which typically diminishes a couple of minutes after you stop.

Muscle cramps can also be caused by nerves that malfunction, and this malfunction is sometimes due to health problems, like a pinched nerve in your back or neck.

For treatment to relieve the severe pain caused by cramps, try stretching or gently massaging the cramped muscle.

Prevention of muscles cramps starts with consuming a healthy diet, giving special attention to your potassium, calcium and magnesium intake.

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