What is Sciatica? Sciatica is a constant pain that is felt along the sciatic nerve; it runs from the lower back down to the feet. It controls the muscles to the legs and provides feeling to the thighs, legs and bottoms of the feet. Sciatica occurs most often in people between the ages thirty through fifty. It usually is caused by repetitive use type of conditions, such as sitting for long periods of time, or normal wear and tear. It is rarely caused by an acute or traumatic event.

The discomfort from sciatica can be sometimes debilitating it can get so severe it can be difficult for one to sit, walk or even sleep. Some people experience tingling while for others it is just a dull ache. Occasionally it can be a burning type of pain. Pain from the sciatic nerve is usually caused by the nerve being pinched or irritated in the lower back or lumbar spine. The nerve then gets inflamed and causes a variety of symptoms that can ruin one’s lifestyle.

The most conservative type of treatment for sciatica is the application of ice. I recommend to my patients to lay flat with two pillows under the knees and apply ice to the lower back on the side of involvement for fifteen minutes. This can be repeated up to every hour if necessary. It is important not to apply the ice for more than twenty minutes at a time because this can aggravate the condition. Applying ice to the source of the problem will decrease the inflammation of the nerve and subsequently decrease pain. Although this may be a temporary solution, it does offer some relief.

Manipulation of the spine to relieve the pressure on the nerve has been demonstrated in studies to be one of the most affective treatments for sciatic pain. Manipulation is the best place to start when someone has sciatic nerve pain. It is a non-invasive, drug-free treatment option. The goal of manipulation is to realign the spinal bones taking the pressure off the nerve. When the nerve pressure is alleviated one often finds great improvement with decreased pain and inflammation.

Other very effective, conservative treatment is an exercise program. There are many exercises that are valuable, but these are the ones I have found in my clinical experience to be the most beneficial. The first exercise is laying flat on your back with your knees bent. Squeeze or flex you buttocks toward the ceiling. Hold this position for a count of ten and slowly return to the neutral position. Do this four times. Starting at the neutral position, bring each leg to your chest with both hands one at a time. Follow this by bringing both knees to the chest bringing your head up again holding for a count of ten and returning slowly to the neutral position and repeating four times. A third exercise is laying on your stomach and arching backwards with your elbows on the floor moving from a neutral position to a comfortable flexed position arching backwards as much as you can, discontinuing if back or leg pain worsens. The fourth exercise is on your hands and knees, pushing your back toward the ceiling then pulling it to the floor, (this is often called the cat stretch). These exercises should be started slowly and if there is any pain or discomfort, to stop before you have pain. I would suggest doing these exercises two to three times a day.

There are many nutritional aspects to sciatic nerve pain you may not be aware. A diet that is pro-inflammatory i.e., one that is rich in meat, dairy and shellfish, will give more inflammation to all nerves. An anti-inflammatory diet consists of fruits, vegetables and fish. This is one of the most powerful ways to treat the symptoms of inflammation and stop pain.

The nutrients that I found to be most effective in helping sciatic nerve pain are turmeric, tulsi and rosemary. These powerful herbs have been studied and found to greatly decrease inflammation. Boswellia is an herb that is a specific anti-inflammatory. This is especially helpful for patients with arthritis. Bromelein is a plant enzyme found in pineapples and has natural anti-inflammatory affects. I prefer to take this with papain as well, it is essential that you take it between meals to really get the benefits of the anti-inflammatory nature. Ginger is a powerful herb that gives pain relief. You can steep fresh ginger in boiling water and use it as a tea or make a juice out of it. Evening primrose oil, black currant oil, or borage oils contain the essential fatty acids Gammalinolenic acid. These omegas will greatly reduce the inflammation and take down the pain of the sciatic nerve.

There are many ergonomically beneficial positions that will improve sciatic nerve pain regardless of the cause. It is an important part of your treatment to improve your posture and use your body the way it was designed. Good posture allows the use of the body without strain on muscles, joints, ligaments, and internal organs. Good posture must be considered in all areas of your life: sitting, standing, resting, working, playing and exercising. It is simply not a matter of “standing tall”.

In the resting position, it is beneficial to lay flat on your back with two pillows under your knees or lay on your side with a pillow between your knees. Avoid positions like sleeping flat with no pillow, on your stomach or lying on your stomach with one knee bent up. This will cause a ’swayback’ condition. Some simple things, such as getting up and down from bed, to get into bed it is preferred that you sit on the side of the bed bring both arms to one side, lower your side to the bed keeping your knees bent at forty five degrees, then pull your feet into bed. Remain on one side or roll on the back. Getting up from the bed it is best to roll on your side push with the hands to the sitting position keeping knees bent and swinging legs over the edge of the bed. When sitting, avoid a chair that is too high, as this will increase swayback. When sitting, the knees should be higher than the hips as this will flatten the lumbar curvature. Avoid slouching on a chair with feet on an ottoman because this can strain the lower back. When traveling in a car the seat should be close to the steering wheel and use a small pillow for proper lumbar support. When standing, I recommend placing one foot on a stool or shelf and after a short time switch to the other foot this will flatten the lumbar curve and ease the pressure off the lumbar spine. When lifting, avoid bending at the waist. Bend the knees and carry the object close to the body. When bending, bend at the knees and push your buttocks out rather then flexing at the waist.

My final tip on stopping sciatic nerve pain is to drink plenty of H2O. A dehydrated body is one that will be more difficult to heal. It is important to drink at least six to eight glasses of water per day to keep the body well hydrated and to flush toxins built up from resulting muscle spasms of the pain and inflammation. Water will also keep the disc well hydrated. Between your spinal bones are intervetebral discs that dry out as we age the more we can keep them hydrated, the less arthritis will occur in the spine. This is also the cause of us getting shorter as we age is each little disc between the vertebrae dry out, or desiccate, then subsequent height loss will occur.

If you follow these simple guidelines for stopping sciatic nerve pain, you will go a long way in preventing any discomfort in the future and not have to take any harmful drugs or painful surgical intervention. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Discover the keys to stopping sciatic nerve pain. Through years of clinical treatments, Dr. Gendron has helped thousands of patients prevent and relief the pain of sciatica. Go to his website, www.doctorgendron.com now, to find natural solutions and stop the pain.

Magnets have been around for as far back in time as 2500-3000 years BC. The first documentation of this came from Asia Minor, specifically an expanse of land referred to as Magnesia. The population of this place recognised that the earth would attract metal items to it, they then called it Magnetite. What they didn’t realise is that this was because the land was enhanced with large amounts of iron oxide.

A different tale of a shepherd boy tending his flock on Mount Ida, 2500 years BC ago, he found it extremely difficult to walk up the mountainside. The boy’s feet were heavy and stuck to the rock. The sandals he wore were held together with metal rivets, the boys name was Magnes.

It was discovered that the shepherd boy’s mountain contained a mineral with magnetic properties named Lodestone. Through out the ages its name has changed to Magnes after the boy who revealed its magnetic properties and now more commonly know as magnet.

It has been written that historical figures such as Cleopatra have used magnets for their beneficial properties. Cleopatra rested on Lodestone to retain her young, fresh looks. Further documentation including the written works of Plato and Aristotle profess the Lodestones benefits and its use in Greek medicine since 2500 BC.

In the east, Chinese medical treatments have included magnets since 2000 BC. Reflexology and acupuncture are often used in conjunction with the healing properties of the magnets. With many ailments, magnets are still the first step even today.

Western cultures in Europe and America have also use magnets with ever increasing popularity. A Swiss physician in the fifteenth century called Paracelsus, penned numerous research papers with regard to the reduction of inflammation within the body caused by the placement of magnets on a person.

In the 16th century an English doctor Dr William Gilbert made a scientific study of electricity and magnetism. He published one of the first books about magnetic therapy called “De Magnet”. Dr Gilbert was also Queens Elizabeth I personal physician and it is said that she used magnets under his direction.

In depth studies into the healing benefits of magnetic therapy were led by Michael Faraday in the 18th century. He later became known as the originator of biomagnetics. Even today his work provides a support structure to modern treatments using magnets. Leaders in the fields of Hypnotism and Homeopathy, Dr Mesmer and Dr Hahnemann also made extensive contributions to his studies.

Modern faces include a German doctor, Dr Kreft. In 1905 he looked at how magnetic fields can improve the symptoms of conditions such as neuralgia, rheumatism and sciatica. In 1926 Dr Criles ran studies on how cancerous cells would react to magnets. Then ten years later, Albert Davis was responsible for the accurate testing of magnetic north and south poles.

However the last 15 years has shown a prolific increase in medical research into magnetic therapy. There have been over 57 studies in the USA into incurable diseases and magnetics. Some of the most recent are:

1990 - University of Hawaii studied the presence of magnetic fields on osteoarthritis sufferers.

1992- Stiller et al a randomised double blind trial of wound healing in venous leg wounds.

1999- New York Medical College used magnetic shoe insoles to show how they would treat diabetes.

2001- University of Virginia tested magnetised mattress covers Fibromyalgia patients.

2004- University of Exeter and Plymouth tested magnetic bracelets on patients with osteoarthritis

The Magnetic Therapy trend is increasing all over the world and has stars such as these swearing by them:

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton

Anthony Hopkins

HRH Queen Elizabeth II

HRH Prince Charles

HRH Queen Elizabeth II

Cherie Blair

Venus Williams

Venus Williams

Andre Agassi

Jack Niklaus and many more.