Living with constant pain can really lower the quality of your life and get in the way of your everyday tasks. You must do everything you can to prevent any illnesses or chronic pain conditions that you may have.
Sciatica causes pain in the lower back and the legs and can become one of the most difficult things you have to deal with every day. There are many ways to prevent and relieve sciatica pain, from exercises, medicines, surgeries, all the way to a notorious diet and natural supplements for sciatica.
When it comes to your overall health, having a balanced and nutritious diet is essential. The body needs certain nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to perform as best as it can. When you cannot get these nutrients and vitamins from food, you need natural supplements to make up for the deficiency.
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is nerve pain in the legs, buttocks, and lower back as a result of irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. The pain resulting from the compression is felt all the way along the path of the large sciatic nerve.
Sciatica pain usually feels like a burning sensation or a shooting pain. It can also lead to some numbness in the backs of the legs and general weakness. Usually, sciatica only affects one leg. You may feel some numbness or heaviness in one leg, which can indicate an issue with the sciatic nerve.
The symptoms and pain are usually worst when sitting down for extended periods of time, while trying to stand up, bending forward, or while twisting the spine.
However, sciatica itself is not a medical condition and is usually a symptom of an underlying problem. Some medical conditions that could cause sciatica are issues with the spinal cord, such as a herniated disc, a degenerative disc disease, muscle spasms, or joint dysfunction.
Sciatica can become a serious problem if you start facing symptoms like weakness in the legs or symptoms in both legs, bowel and bladder dysfunction, or sexual dysfunction. In these cases, it is advised that you seek immediate medical attention.
How to Relieve Sciatica Pain?
The best natural way to relieve pain from sciatica is by following a diet that will help reduce inflammation in your body. This means eating foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables, fatty fish, turmeric, ginger, green tea and much more.
You also want to ensure that you’re getting nutrients and vitamins in your body, whether from food or from supplements. Some important natural supplements for sciatica include magnesium, Vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Another way to relieve sciatica pain is by getting massage therapy. Massages can help relax your muscles and tendons, improve blood circulation, and release endorphins which are your body’s natural pain-killing hormones. Heat packs can also help in giving temporary relief from pain in the legs and lower back.
There are a number of stretching techniques you can try which also work in relieving pain. Standing hamstring stretches and glute stretches can be a great form of exercise and can relieve some of the pressure or irritation from the sciatic nerve, lessening the intensity of the symptoms you’re facing.
Other options include pain killers, over-the-counter medication, steroid injections, and, lastly, surgery. These options need to be taken with the advice of a medical expert only.
Natural Supplements for Sciatica Pain
Let’s take a look at some of the natural supplements for sciatica that you can incorporate into your diet or take in the form of supplement pills.
1. Turmeric
Turmeric is a bright orange/yellow spice used in curry and other south Asian foods. Turmeric is widely used in traditional Indian herbal medicine – Ayurveda – to treat many different ailments. Turmeric has an anti-oxidant compound curcumin in it that blocks inflammation-causing enzymes in the body. Because of its anti-inflammatory effects, turmeric can be an effective painkiller and help reduce inflammation in the nerves, including the sciatic nerve.
You can add turmeric root or ground turmeric to your diet by adding a pinch to smoothies, curries, rice, stir-fry dishes, and different dips. Turmeric can add a lovely color and a hint of spice to many different dishes and is one of the best natural supplements for sciatica pain.
2. Ginger
Ginger root also has anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it a good natural remedy for muscle pain and nerve pain. The most effective way to have ginger for pain relief is by making ginger root tea. Simply simmer sliced ginger in water for about half an hour, and then strain the liquid so that it is clear. Drink the tea while it is warm to get the most of the pain-relieving effects from it.
You can also keep a small piece of ginger in your mouth, under your tongue, for a short period of time to feel its pain-relieving effects. Ginger is also such a versatile ingredient that you can add it to many different foods and easily incorporate it into your diet.
3. Magnesium
Magnesium is a necessary component of bone tissue that can increase bone mineral density, reducing the chances of any spine-related medical conditions and sciatica. Magnesium affects around three hundred different enzymatic processes in the body and helps it function correctly. It helps regulate other nutrients, including zinc, vitamin D, and copper.
You can add magnesium to your diet by incorporating foods such as legumes, whole grains, and green vegetables. You can also get magnesium from dairy products like milk and yogurt. If you aren’t able to get enough magnesium from your regular diet, you can opt for taking magnesium supplements.
Magnesium can be found in multivitamin supplements and other dietary supplements as well. The forms of magnesium in dietary supplements that the body can absorb easily are magnesium aspartate, magnesium lactate, and magnesium chloride among others.
4. Calcium
Calcium is the most prominent bone mineral and is essential for maintaining bone health and the necessary levels of bone mass. You can incorporate calcium naturally into your diet by eating foods such as milk, dairy products like cheese and yogurt, leafy greens like spinach and kale, and fortified soy products. If you are unable to have dairy or do not have the time to incorporate some of the other food options into your daily diet, there are a number of calcium supplements that you can take.
We suggest the Nature’s Bounty Calcium with Vitamin D3 tablets (ASIN: B002FHL3DE), which promotes bone health and reduces osteoporosis risk. Also, check out the Now Calcium and Magnesium tablets (ASIN: B00028LZ9A) for supporting bone health.
5. Protein
Protein is one of the most important supplements that your body needs in order to grow and maintain itself. It is one of the key building blocks in the body and is needed to maintain bone health and repair bones, cartilage, and soft tissue.
Proteins are found in animal products such as meats, milk, fish, and eggs. They are also found in plant sources such as soy, beans, legumes, nut, and some grains such as quinoa. You can even try a natural protein supplement to promote bone health and prevent sciatica. Try the Premier Protein Shake in Vanilla (ASIN: B07MCCVZYC).
6. Collagen
Collagen proteins make up about thirty percent of the bone weight in the body. By increasing your collagen intake, you can reduce the risk of spine and disc-related conditions, which can cause sciatica. Collagen supplements can be really helpful and easy to take as well. Try the Ancient Nutrition Multi Collagen Protein powder (ASIN: B07D41R677).
7. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of heart-healthy fat that’s crucial to growth and development. Research suggests that omega-3 fatty acids could be involved in bone health and may promote bone turnover. You can add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet by increasing your intake of fish and other seafood. Salmon, mackerel, herring, cod liver oil, and oysters are good options.
There are also some great omega-3 supplements that you can try out. We suggest the Freshfield Vegan Omega 3 DHA Supplement (ASIN: B07H9GL3Y8) and the Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega (ASIN: B0739KKHWL).
8. Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays an important role in protecting your bones by helping your body absorb calcium and supporting your muscles. Vitamin D is one of the important natural supplements for sciatica because it helps the development of strong and healthy bones. Vitamin D deficiencies are very common but can be overcome naturally by increasing the amount of sunlight you get, incorporating vitamin D rich foods in your diet, and taking supplements. Try out the NatureWise Vitamin D3 Supplements for Healthy Muscle Function, Bone Health, and Immune Support (ASIN: B00GB85JR4).
9. Vitamin C
Vitamin C increases the synthesis of collagen in the body, which is very important for bone health. Having the recommended amount of vitamin C intake is necessary for healing any muscles injuries, injured tendons, ligaments, and spinal discs and keeping the vertebrae strong. This is very helpful in relieving sciatica pain and any inflammation or pressure of the sciatic nerve.
A lot of foods have vitamin C and can be added to your everyday diet. Berries such as blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries have high quantities of vitamin C. As do citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and limes. A great vitamin C supplement you can try is the Solimo Vitamin C Orange Flavor Gummies (ASIN: B07BBMND7W).
10. Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is essential for maintaining a healthy nervous system. It helps in healing injured nerves and reducing inflammation. It also helps in the formation of the body’s bone-building cells, and a deficiency in vitamin B12 can lead to bone conditions such as Osteoporosis.
Vitamin B is very easy to incorporate into your diet. You can get vitamin B from meat, fish, dairy products like cheese and eggs, nuts and seeds, or foods like lentils and leafy greens. Some vitamin B complex supplements that we recommend are Nature’s Bounty B-12 1000 mcg Value Pack (ASIN: B09JGSZQYL), and the Swanson B-100 B-Complex Vitamins Energy Cardio Stress Metabolism Support (ASIN: B00068SIZ0).
Our Final Thoughts
Living with sciatica and constant nerve pain can be extremely difficult and affect your everyday life. We hope that reading this article has given you some helpful tips on how to use natural supplements and foods in your diet to help with sciatica pain and some ideas on exercises and other things you can do to reduce the pain.
Many micronutrients in the foods and supplements we have suggested help suppress inflammatory mediators and reduce the overall inflammatory processes in the body. They are also essential for maintaining bone health and reducing the risk of spinal cord conditions such as a herniated disc, a degenerative disc disease, or joint dysfunction.
We hope that you will try out some of our ten best natural supplements for sciatica and that they will help relieve some of the pain you may be feeling. Remember, if the pain is getting too much to bear, or if you start to feel pain in both of your legs or any numbness, contact your doctor immediately and get some medical attention.
