According to BigBackPain.com the sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body. It starts in the lower back and then branches down each leg to the feet. Sciatica is the pain felt when pressure is being put on the sciatic nerve by a muscle or bone. Sciatica is most commonly used as the symptom of a more serious condition. A herniated disc can cause the vertebrae to put pressure on the sciatic nerve, or arthritis in the spine may cause bone spurs to put pressure on the nerve. Doctors have several ways of relieving sciatic nerve pain.

Rest

Dr. Stephen H. Hochschuler writing on Spine-Health.com notes that a large number of people who suffer from sciatic nerve pain recover within a few weeks with little or no treatment at all. One of the recommended ways to combat the pain is to alternate between applying heat and cold to the affected area for the span of a few hours. Apply the cold first for 20 minutes, then go without for another 20 minutes and then apply the heat for 20 minutes. This along with over-the-counter pain medication and bed rest will normally relieve the pain within a few days to a couple of weeks. If the pain persists for more than six weeks, then your doctor may move to the next level of treatment.

Medication and Physical Therapy

If your doctor determines that your condition requires more aggressive treatment, then your doctor may put you on prescription pain killers to manage the pain. The more common pain medications are hydrocodone in a pill form, or a liquid steroid applied directly to the infected area by a large needle. Both of these forms of pain relief are temporary. For permanent pain relief your doctor may send you to a physical therapist who will work with you to design an exercise program that will help strengthen the muscles around the sciatic nerve and remove the source of pain or inflammation. For example, in the case of sciatica caused by a herniated disc, the physical therapy will help to strengthen the muscles around the disc and better hold it in place to take pressure off the sciatic nerve.

Surgery

If the condition advances to the point where numbness in the leg occurs or you begin to lose control of your bowels, your doctor may determine that surgery is necessary to relieve your pain and prevent any permanent damage. According to HealthScout.com, surgery to remove the portion of the spine disc that is pressing on the sciatic nerve is a common procedure to relieve sciatica pain. Other possible surgical procedures are removing bone spurs that may be causing inflammation or removing a portion of the spine that has narrowed over time and is compressing the sciatic nerve.

Source:

BigBackPain.com: Sciatica

Spine-Health.com: What You Need to Know about Sciatica

Healthscout.com: Sciatic Pain

Resource:

SpineUniverse.com: 6 Leading Causes of Sciatica