Effective Natural Remedies for Sciatica

Sea Salt worked for me for sciatica in my left leg. I tried it after reading the Lepore book.

I had been on a low-salt diet because there's a lot of high blood pressure in my family. When I read that I might have a sodium deficiency, I was very doubtful, but I licked my finger, stuck it in a dish of sea salt, and licked the salt off my finger. The pain went away in a few minutes.

At first the pain returned a lot, but I was able to control it every time with salt. Then I started drinking carrot/celery juice and eating a lot more salads, and that seems to have mostly prevented recurrences.

Eat raw ginger or crystalized ginger candy to permanent cure your sciatica pain. I was in constant pain for a year and a half, I could not run or walk on my treadmill, I could not sit for long periods of time and I am in my thirties. I was out walking along the Henry Hudson Parkway one afternoon and after 5 hours on constant walking the pain was unbearable in my leg. I sat down and consulted Earthclinic on my Iphone. I read 14 reviews giving praises to candies ginger, I limped along to the near supermarket and brought a bag of gingered candy. This was mid July it is now November I have been cured of the ailment since the day after consuming ginger candy. I have since started a daily regime of eating a couple slices of raw ginger, which I believe the best remedy, without the sugar from the candied version.

The only time I get sciatica is after emotional stress. Unexpressed emotion flows into the body and lands in the sciatic nerve. It get handled by my chiropractor who practices what's called "network chiropractics". This means he works on the body's neurological network... Applying gentle pressure to release trapped emotion from the nerve. A couple of sessions usually gets the job done.

I decided to do a 21 day Daniel fast and not drink coffee or caffeine during that time. After a couple of days my bones were ACHING! I thought I was detoxing and that it would go away within a few days. Most of it was better, but my right side had sciatica terrible that would not go away. It would help to take ibuprofren or pain pills, but the pain continued after it wore off. It was the worst at night and I couldn't sleep. I remembered other times that I would quit drinking coffee that I had bone/nerve pain and after five days I decided to try and see if it was coffee. I drank one cup of 1/2 regular and 1/2 decaf, which is what I normally drank and I didn't have to take anything for pain. It did hurt some in the middle of the night, but was much better! The next morning I again drank a couple of cups of 1/2 regular 1/2 decaf coffee and have had no more pain!! I know those who think coffee is poision will think this is crazy, but I would rather drink a couple cups of coffee a day then have the terrible pain that sciatica causes.

My mother was walking with a cane for months because of sciatica. An herbalist recommended she take the homeopathic Hypericum. Within 4 days she was able to walk without her cane. And within 1 week was pain free.

My husband also developed Sciatica and I couldn't find the homeopathic Hypericum. So I purchased St John's wort which is also Hypericum and that cured his Sciatica in 3 days. Make sure you take the product for a few weeks as directed on the bottle.

SUCCESS!! I'm pain free.

I pray all siatica sufferers read this. After trying several suggestions on earthclinic for siatica pain the two that healed me are: taking the ginger in both raw root (minced into tiny pieces and eaten throughout the day) and ground (about a teaspoon couple or three times a day) for only three or four days the hot and cold pain that was shooting down the siatic nerve path from back, over hip and to just below my right knee has stopped totally and I believe the numbness is improved. However I believe the recommended exercises that came with the sacral wedge I ordered from Amazon.com has done the most to heal me. I've never even used the sacral wedge as I was healed doing just the exercises. I'll try to describe the exercises, the one I do in chair and, and the two I do about three minutes on bed on waking and before I fall asleep at night.

The three exercises:

1. Sitting in chair, cross ankle at knee, with both hands pull knee toward head while back is straight. Hold 20-30 seconds. Do other leg. I do this a couple times a day. You will feel the tug over your butt muscles and into your hip and down leg. This feels marvelous and I highly recommend for anyone who wants to remain or become more limber. In the deep reading I've been doing to understand siatica, I've learned that done daily this keeps the muscle relaxed over the siatic nerve.

2. Lay flat on back; I do have my head on a pillow. Maybe you could try with then without pillow. Draw knees up with feet flat on bed (the literature recommended floor or table, but my bed is hard). Tilt pelvic area toward your head, rock your pelvis like this intermittently for a minute or so, occasionally hold the tilt for a few seconds.

3. After the above, feet still flat on bed knees together, back remaining flat on bed, roll knees to the left until they lay on bed, then rock them to the right. Rock them back and forth for a minute or two.

I was waking many times during the night with severe pain radiating from back into right hip socket and down my leg to knee; and now I have none of that pain waking me nor none of the pain at any time.

I've had no waking pain the last six or seven nights. I've noticed that doing the exercises and taking the ginger also has my other joints limber now.

I do hope so much this helps other sufferers and that they read this.

I sympathize about sciatica pain and found help by using enzymes such as bromelain. I took one 500 mg pill or capsule of it on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning, and just before bed, or during the day 2 hrs after eating and. 5 hour before eating. With food it acts as digestive enzyme; without, it reduces inflammation. Also, turmeric capsules or pills (450-500 mg), with meals that contain fat and black pepper. Both of these supplements are available at health food stores, relatively cheap, with no side effects for me. Best of luck.

Thank you Namiyah from Westport, OR so much for the magnesium oil with vit E in rollon remmendation. I'm adding that to my list of remedies. I MUST TELL YOU ALL, I "tentatively" testify that I DO BELIEVE the ginger, both ground and raw, I've been taking since night before last is HELPING me. I have slept through most of the night the last two nights which is first for me in months, and though I did wake once or twice with horrific pain, that's usual, that first night I began the ginger I didn't wake with severe pain last night.

Last night before bed I spent about a half hour, 1. Rubbing my L's and lower S's and the entire siatic nerve path down leg to just below the knee where the pain ends, with cream methyl silicylate 17% with menthol USP 12% (probably 12-15 min. ),

2. Doing the exercises recommended on this site where you cross your ankle over knee then pull knee toward opposite shoulder and hold 20 or 30 seconds; doing both sides. This feels GREAT and I highly recommend for anyone not just siatic sufferers. I also did this as recommended every time I sat down yesterday and again today.

3. I also developed and performed other joint stretches in lower back and hip joints I thought would help, I did them GENTLY. Be careful.

4. I increased my B12 intake to 2000 mg morning, and an additional B12 2000 mb at evening (began the increase last night). B12 was reported on the Earthclinic under the siatica site to have cured someone's siatica.

5. The last thing I did was take about a half teaspoon of ground ginger in a finger of water before bed along with 800 mg ibuprophen. I had taken the ground or raw every three or four hrs during the day.

I don't like taking ibuporphen so will probably not take it tonight. Hoping for at least similar experience of last night.

Still awaiting the sacral wedge I ordered.

Will continue to report back. Thank you all so much for input.

I have found using a laser therapy pen helpful for relieving sciatica pain. I apply the laser to all the painful points on my lower back for a few minutes and can feel the muscles releasing as I laser them. Sometimes it takes a few days to get everything to release but it always helps.

I've had sciatica since the mid-nineties and tried everything from herbal supplements, acupuncture and chiropractic treatments but the pain remained constant, especially on cold, wet, rainy days. Then I purchased some Magnesium oil and placed some in a roll-on bottle of Vitamin E leaving about 1/3rd Vitamin E in the roll-on. The strategic area that I applied it was upon my tail-bone from 1L to 5L. It took about several weeks and I noticed a 75% reduction in pain. I've been using it daily for 6 months and notice a tremendous difference. Good luck!

Ginger has anti-inflamatory properties. Inflamation is the cause of sciatic or hip pain. However, the 'firey' taste of ginger is something that takes time for an aquired taste to build.

• Fresh ginger will always be the best source for potassium, and pealed, thinly sliced ginger with a little lemon steeped in hot water for tea is good.
• Herbal ginger teas are an easy alternative, and these teas do work; however, they do not deliver the full impact of fresh ginger and must be steeped longer for effectiveness.
• The candied ginger is ideal and the sugar covers the firey taste but can present a problem for diabetics.

Tip: brew a full pot of ginger tea for the day. Use three to four slices, but use trial and error here for the strength that works for you. Place in a thermos and sip the tea throughtout the day. Let the tea cool and drink it like iced tea. Be sure to pitch any unfinished tea at the end of each day - no sense in dealing with a fungus later on.

Also helpful: Finding a massage therapist who knows how to release the sciatica is an ideal way to help the muscle relax and give the client the ability to walk, ride a bike, streach and keep the muscle toned. The key question to ask the therapist - does he or she know how to use strain counter strain in the glutes or hip muscles. This therapy along with the ginger to offset the inflamation will be the beginning of freedom. Blessings...

I am so thankful to all of you for your posts. I had a severe sciata flare-up that began Thursday as a mild one. By Sunday morning(12/30/12) I could not move and it had spread all to my foot. If I even shifted a minute amount excruciating pain went through my left side (buttock to toes). My foot was so numb ans cold. It tingled and sent tingles to my arms when I ran my other foot alomg the heel. I was taking ibuprofen to no avail. My sons called the paramedics after I failed to dress for them to take me to the doctor. I could not move even an inch. The paramedics advised alternating ibuprofen with arthritis strength tylenol and drinking gatorade to balance the electrolytes.

My sons immediately went to purchase the gatorade and tylenol which I added to my regimen. I, still felt no difference so I searched for remedies to help me sleep. I came across this thread at 2:00 this morning (12/31). My son didn't want to go buy the ginger slices but we had some ground ginger. So, I had him bring me a cup of boiling water and I put a tablespoon of the ground ginger and some honey into the water and sipped it. About 30 mon. Later I made my way to soak in an epsom salt bath. When I awakened still in the tub about an hour later the pain had subsided greatly. My foot still felt numb and the calf pain was there when I tried to walk, but, it was much more bearable. I awakened this morning and all but the foot pain and numbness is gone. Thank you all so much. I am sipping another cup of ginger tea as I type.

I have suffered with sciatica on and off for years, and after finding this site and thread, I want to say THANK YOU!! I was in the midst of a three-week bout of unrelenting pain when I read this thread. Shortly after, I ran out out and bought the ginger slices. I used that (ate about six or seven yesterday) along with 15 minutes of icing my back twice yesterday and the pain was gone in hours. I kid you not, and I am both incredulous and extremely grateful. I seriously didn't think that anything was ever going to work for me. While I am sure that I will have another episode of sciatica (or another 50 episodes of it), I feel that I have options now. Eager to try to other methods as well (well, not too eager, if you get my drift).... I have tried meds, chiropractic, exercises (which I am sure are essential for building strength), but nothing has ever helped me this quickly. Thank you!!!!!!!!

Sunshine from Dana Point, CA: Please google helichrysum essential oil. It is exceptional for sciatica nerve pain, as well as other forms of muscle pain as well. Buy *therapeutic grade essential oil and apply liberally to area of pain every few hours, and the patient will find relief. Good luck, Tina

I'm not clear. Does candied ginger work for sciatica in general, or only on left-leg-sufferers? I read here that sciatica in the left leg is different than right. If the left leg is a deficiency of sodium and not potassium, will the ginger still help? Has anyone with sciatica in their left leg been helped by candied ginger? Please, my husband has terrible pain on his left side and I don't want to waste any time or money. Should we use the epsom salts for sodium deficiency?

I notice that Tony from Feltham wasn't sure how to sit on the shoe; neither was I, but from others' descriptions I surmised that you sit on the middle of it with the toe part under your tailbone. I tried the tennis ball technique today because I was desperate, and I was able to walk without limping a half hour later.

I travel a lot for work. I am generally very healthy and fit, but this sciatica thing has been getting intolerable. It flares up and disturbs my sleep, messes up my mood and makes sitting through a two-hour plane flight very unpleasant (I know, I need to stand periodically). Stretching helps and I also use a trigger-point ball and vibrating massager, but the tennis ball remedy is kind of amazing. I guess it realigns things.

I like the earthclinic site a lot. There are a lot of good tips. Thanks, everyone :-)

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01/24/2010: Cristi from Tucson, Arizona, United States: "I cured sciatica in my right leg using blackstrap molassas. I read in the book The Ultimate Healing System by Donald Lepore, N. D. That sciatica in the right leg is caused by a potassium deficiency. Since I always seek out food sources over supplements I started the black strap molassas and have never had pain again.

FYI, the book says sciatica in the left leg is a sodium defiency.

Things that deplete potassium and sodium are drinking alchohol, processed foods, sweating/exercising, and being sick, to name a few."

Bullion cubes or salt in warm water will stop the pain. Look up sciatic pain, etiologies, mineral deficiencies.

I was reading the comments on candied ginger for sciatica as well as the other comments regarding potassium rich foods. I did an internet search on the potassium content of ginger and it turns out that ginger is very high in potassium. The ginger has helped aleviate my sciatica pain and so has the tennis shoe tip. I also saw a video online about stretching the "piriformis muscle" which is the muscle the sciatica nerve runs through. Learning how to stretch this muscle has helped. I saw a video on YouTube video that was simple and it didn't hurt me. Anyway, I'm on the road to recovery thanks to all the Earth Clinic people with the willingness to research what is out there and to separate the good from the not so good.