Sciatic nerve pain is a debilitating condition, usually characterized by pain going down the leg originating from the lower back. Sciatic nerve pain can occur suddenly, usually following heavy lifting. That said, others may experience a more gradual onset of discomfort or a more constant pain. Weakness or numbness can be present as well at various points of a leg and potentially down the foot. What would you say if we told you there was a way to relieve sciatic nerve pain – one possible solution may be the use of a sauna.
Sciatic nerve pain can have different origins but it most often comes from spinal disc herniation. The disc herniates which then presses down on a lumbar or sacral nerve root. Other cases of sciatica can be from spinal stenosis, pelvic tumors, or pregnancy. The commonality is a pressing down on the nerve root. How medical doctors will commonly resolve this is through pain medications or muscle relaxants. For others, they are recommended rest with the hope that this will resolve symptoms. Surgery is sometimes given, in severe cases.
Now, enter in a sauna. This is a treatment which is completely safe, carries no risk, and doesn’t have any tough-to-handle side effects. A case study recently examined a patient who had somewhat severe sciatic nerve pain which was almost always present. The patient has tried multiple therapies with no lasting effect, including deep tissue massage, yoga, chiropractic adjustments, and prescribed exercises. The medications given were primarily over-the-counter, with risks and dangers involved. Then, he tried an infrared sauna.
An infrared sauna provides a person the opportunity to engage in hot-cold therapy. In a sense, heat brings with it increased circulation, nutrients, and oxygen through the body. The heat can also be very calming not only to the muscles but also the central nervous system and other systems. Now, add cold which is a method to reduce swelling and inflammation, and which numbs. The most successful treatment of a sciatic nerve pain patient using a sauna involved repeated hot and cold therapies. A short sauna session to heat up, back into a cold shower, followed by another session in heat, and then back into a cold shower, and then, one more sequence.
Does a sauna treat sciatic nerve pain successfully – for this patient, it did in a big way. The repeated hot-cold sauna therapy made this person’s sciatic nerve pain disappear entirely. It literally brought the pain down from a 7 or 8 on a 10-point pain scale to 0. For patients with advanced or extreme sciatic nerve pain, this may be a way out. Saunas can be used in combination or alternative to chiropractic work, physiotherapy, medication, and acupuncture.
To anyone suffering from pain from the sciatic nerve, hot-cold therapy sounds simple but it works. Not only that but a sauna installed in your home can have a huge difference on quality of life, impacting you in a number of ways. Some other sauna benefits include weight loss, increased metabolism, muscle pain relief, a strengthening of the immune system, detoxification, cellulite appearance improvement, an easing of joint pain and stiffness, reduced stress and fatigue, and younger-looking skin.
Are you looking for an infrared sauna to install in your home? Resolve your sciatic nerve pain, discomfort, and stress today. Choose Steam Sauna and you may have a way to a recovery from symptoms.