Following up on my article last week on backaches, let me talk to you about a more acute pain linked to the nerves that are connected to the spine. These start in the lower back and travel down to the regions of the leg. This is called Sciatica.
Sciatica pain is caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve that travels through your body. With sciatica, the nerve becomes compressed usually from something like a bulging spinal disc, which irritates the nerve. The result is pain, abnormal sensation, and discomfort. Pain is usually the first symptom of sciatica and typically indicates nerve irritation or inflammation. Most commonly, a sharp, burning or searing pain may be felt that affects only one leg.
Sciatica pain can be almost anywhere along the nerve pathway. It's especially likely to follow a path from the low back to the buttock and the back of a thigh and calf. Some people also have numbness, tingling or muscle weakness in the leg or foot. One part of the leg can be in pain, while another part can feel numb.
It's not always possible to prevent sciatica, and the condition can come back. Most cases of acute sciatica respond well to self-care measures, which include:
Medication: Over-the-counter painkillers. Mind well, while relief is instant, pain killers are known to deliver dangerous side effects from prolonged use.
Exercising: Such as walking or light stretching.
Hot and cold therapy: Heat increases blood flow to the damaged area, while ice helps to relieve inflammation (which speeds healing). Sciatica is often accompanied by severe muscle spasms, which heat and cold can help.
Good posture when sitting: Choose a seat with good lower back support, armrests and a swivel base. For better low back support, place a pillow or rolled towel in the small of the back to keep its normal curve. Keep knees and hips level.
Use your body correctly: When standing for long periods, rest one foot on a stool or small box from time to time. When lifting something heavy, let your legs do the work. Hold the load close to your body. Don't lift and twist at the same time. Find someone to help lift heavy or awkward things.
Colour Therapy for Sciatica
Colour Therapy entails use of colours to balance the chakras of the body by using the seven colours of the light spectrum. It enhances our body's energy centres/chakras which stimulate our the healing process. Each of the seven main colours of the spectrum resonates with one of the main seven chakras. Each of the spectrum colours is simply light of varying wavelengths, thus each colour has its own particular energy.
For sciatica, red and blue colours are applied strategically for the following reasons:
Blue is believed to represent ice and acts as a painkiller
Red shades represent heat
Please use normal sketch pens to apply the colours as shown in the figure. The location of the colour points are the same as acupressure points through which sciatica is treated. You can also use a orange coloured ribbon and a small piece of adhesive.
