Nerve pain caused by compression of, or pressure on, sciatic nerve supplying leg; can be caused by a Prolapsed Disc or disc degeneration by Osteoporosis (distorted or thickened vertebrae), or by Ankylosing Spondylitis (fusion of facet joints between vertebrae); pains shoot into buttock and leg, especially when bending, sneezing, or coughing; standing may be more comfortable than sitting. Orthodox treatment depends on cause of pain, but options include painkillers, muscle relaxants, steroid injections, and physiotherapy.
Osteopathy, chiropractic and acupuncture also offer relief from the pain of trapped nerves. Homeopathy offers the remedies below; if these do not produce some improvement, see your medical doctor or homeopath.
Specific remedies to be taken every 4 hours for up 10 doses, or every 30 minutes if pain is acute
- Pain shoots down right leg to foot, causing occasional numbness and weakness, pain seems worse in cold or damp weather Colocynth 30c
- Pain worse when sitting, difficulty straightening knee of affected leg because hamstring has shortened, pain wears off when walking, lying down, or sleeping Ammonium mur. 30c
- Severe pain, numbness, and cramps in affected leg, made worse by movement, alleviated by rest and sitting down Gnaphalium 30c
- Tearing pain, relieved by heat and movement, but aggravated by inactivity, cold, and damp Rhus tox. 30c
- Sciatic pain in invalid or elderly person, worse at night and aggravated by cold, improves with gentle exercise Arsenicum 30c
- Pain in right leg, aggravated by pressure and lying on right side, most severe between 4 and 8 pm Lycopodium 30c
- Tearing pains, especially in right leg, bending backwards relieves pain but most other movements, including sitting up, make pain worse Dioscorea 30c
- Pain in left leg, aggravated by both heat and cold, increasing stiffness and difficulty walking Carbon sulph. 30c
- Burning pains shooting into knee and foot, aggravated by coughing, leg feels itchy, pain especially bad around 3 am Kali carb. 30c
- Lightning-like pains in right leg, soothed by heat, aggravated by coughing Magnesia phos. 30c
- Burning pains especially bad at night, preventing sleep, also bad after rest or as you start to walk Gelsemium 30c
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