Sciatic Nerve Pain Medication

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Back pain is not something that can easily be ignored, nor should it be. There are hundreds of problems that can cause back pain and most are easily treatable with physical therapy or massage. However, in some cases of back pain, medication is required to help the problem from becoming more than the patient can handle. Lower back pain caused by injury to the sciatic nerve, otherwise known as sciatica, is definitely one these cases. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body, starting from the bottom of the spinal cord and extending through the buttocks and lower thigh region, eventually ending in the feet. So it should go without saying that injury to the sciatic nerve can be quite debilitating. Luckily, there are numerous medications that relieve the pain associated with sciatica.

Many doctors have resorted to offering bed rest and over-the-counter pain relievers as a way of treating the pain brought on by sciatica. Pain relievers such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen are the two most commonly recommended, however only ibuprofen contains analgesics, ingredients that help with inflammatory and muscle problems.

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... common method of relief for sciatic nerve pain is alternating between hot and cold packs. Heating gel, such as Icy Hot, is highly recommended by doctors, as well as cooling gels or ice packs. For the first 2-3 days of pain, ice should be directly applied to the area of pain. After the initial 72 hours, if the pain continues, heat should be applied until the pain is gone. If pain returns, the patient should continue the cycle.

As nerve pain can trigger the muscles, a pharmaceutical strength muscle relaxant, such as metaxalone is commonly prescribed to patients; however, this is usually avoided if at all possible. Codeine-based painkillers may also be prescribed if pain is excruciating.

Muscle relaxants and prescription painkillers commonly come with strong side effects, such as dizziness and drowsiness, making it difficult for the patient to continue on with daily life, and can also be highly addictive. There have been many arguments in the past regarding exercise as a way of healing sciatica. It has been proven that stretching exercises help remove the swelling from muscles and release pressure from the vertebrae; however, in most cases of sciatic pain, the patient feels so much pain that he or she cannot do these exercises without the aid of a muscle relaxant and pain reliever. This causes problems and sometimes worsens the case of sciatica, as muscle relaxants tend to make the area feel numb, leaving the patient to believe that they can do more than they are capable of, thus causing more strain and eventually doing more damage than good.

Injections that reduce inflammation around the nerve are another way of reducing and relieving sciatic nerve pain. In the most severe cases, spinal injections of steroids, otherwise known as epidural steroid injections may be given. Surgery is not recommended in most cases of sciatic nerve pain, as it can be very risky and often result in more problems that the patient started with.