I just got off the phone to my mother (aged 83!) in Australia, who has severe scoliosis and debilitating pain, which are restricting her movement. She's made a HUGE step forward after rejecting the dangerous and addicitive opioids for pain relief, and had her first Bowen Treatment today. What's Bowen treatment? You can read more about that Here.
Trouble is, the Bowen treatment is not covered by her private health insurance in Australia and she can only afford one treatment per month, which is unlikely to be enough to get, and keep, her fully mobile. So what to do?
Go back to the simple, natural, proven, self-care treatments you can enjoy at home.
ACUPRESSURE, several times a day, is simple, free and incredibly effective.
Using your thumb or forefinger, apply firm, direct pressure to the acupressure points shown below. How long to apply the pressure? 1-2 minutes is good. I usually like to combine my acupressure time with deep, mindful breathing, and so I would say start by holding the pressure for the count of 10 really deep, long, slow breaths, with the exhale being longer than the inhale. Try to USE your breath to direct your energy to the same spot your thumb-forefinger is pressing on.
The biggest question people will bring to acupressure is "How do I know if I'm exactly on the right spot?" And the simple answer is it will be very tender and maybe even downright sore. Feel around with firm pressure and you will know. BREATHE into the tenderness and try to visualize the tight space around that nerve point easing.
Mindful acupressure - 2 or 3 times per day for maybe 2 minutes per point will maybe not feel very different on the first or second day, but do it consistently for a week and be prepared for very noticeable improvements. And pain relief. And much improved mobility.
Here are four other really simple things proven to help relieve sciatic pain that you can also do at home:
- Heat. Hot baths, hot water directed to the site with a flexible shower head, electrical heating pads and good ol' hot water bottles.
- Magnesium. Put a handful of Epsom Salts in your bath or soak your feet DAILY - and apply Magnesium Oil 3-4-5 times per day, including to the soles of your feet, last thing at night before sleep. I would personally massage a squirt into each acupressure point too.
- Stretching. Backwards lunging with your hands steadying you against a wall is a great and simple stretch to help relieve compression of the sciatic nerve. But there are many. Check out these suggestions too:
- Just walk i.e. get off your butt! Prolonged sitting is the arch-enemy of a healthy sciatic nerve. If you can't walk far, walk just a little. Every hour. 50 steps today, 60 steps tomorrow. And 70 the day after.
So my mother has to wait another month for her next Bowen Treatment, but she CAN do many things to help herself feel better in the meantime. Yes, it does need a commitment of time and consistency.
Being much more mobile with little or no pain?? Yes please. Because I love and appreciate my mum and want her around for many more years. And I want her to feel GOOD.
I have realized yesterday that what I have been suffering for a few days now is Sciatic pain!!
I don't know what suddenly brought it on. I wasn't even sure how to describe the pain when it first started happening as it was so unfamiliar and strange to me. I went to Google though yesterday and realized that there is a name for this -- Sciatica!
I think that mine might be from a virus along my nerves, as I did not injure myself. I do have a blend of essential oils that are listed as good for Sciatica which I am now rubbing on my derriere and it is giving me good relief, although I must keep re-applying it to maintain it.
I'll try some of your tips here. Thank-you! Perfect timing.
And I'll take your advice and get off my butt!
That means less time on Steemit though ... lol ...
You just need a standing desk. ;)
Magnesium soaks are brilliant for calming neuralgia (nerve pain-irritation) and yes, sciatica CAN be caused by inflammation and things like shingles. Mostly though it's simple nerve compression from poor postural habit. Over time we think it's 'normal' to sit or walk the way we do. Driving a lot can inflame it, as we don't hold our weight equally on both butt cheeks.
Believe it or not, sleeping position can really aggravate it too. If you lay on your side, tuck a pillow under your upper knee so the weight of your top leg isn't compressing the nerve tissue for 8 hours solid while you sleep.
Hit me up via DM if you need - I spent 6 years walking with crutches and had unbearable sciatic pain - these days I run, walk 99.5% normal and haven't had back or sciatic pain in 15 years. And I'm 55 years old. :) When it's really severe - HEAT and magnesium are the fastest circuit breakers, along with simple acupressure and stretching.
Oh no! That stinks :( I started a workout routine a couple weeks ago and ended up tearing a muscle in my calf- apparently my body can't handle such high impact right off the bat and has to be babied into it, grrrr. Almost healed up now though, so I can start trying it again soon, just a little less enthusiastically! For the time being I've been doing chair aerobics and feeling like an invalid lol
It's no fun when our bodies let us down ... lol ...
Sorry to hear about your injury.
I was planning to start working out more, but now that's on hold for who knows how long.
I just booked an appointment with a Bowen Therapist for the day after tomorrow, so hopefully I can get back to normal soon.
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Aw I love my Mum too. This is great advice. I use one of those spiky balls to nuzzle on in to those tight spots too. Sciatica is so painful.
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Putting something warm or a belt is also helpful.
Practicing some QiGong exercices is helping preventing sciatic.
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Extremely useful text, @artemislives, thank you very much.
My ex-husband suffers from sciatic pain, due to nerve and spinal damage and I spent the years I was with him to encourage him to keep looking for new ways he could manage his pain. But alas, he gave up a long time on that. But I know, he never tries acupuncture or even CBD oil.
Even I forget how powerful a medicine nature is and I will look for alternatives to the painkillers I habitually turn to when for example the tingles of a migraine threaten.