The longest and thickest nerve of the body is the Sciatic nerve. When stressed excessively or compressed, this nerve causes tremendous pain in the lower back and thighs. This type of chronic pain is felt only in one half of the body. Back pain is a common problem but when you start having a tingling, painful sensation down your thigh then consulting a physician becomes mandatory.
Sciatica is the disease caused by injury or damage to the sciatic. It renders an individual incapacitate and takes away the ability to lead a normal painless life. Scientists believe that a balanced diet and natural foods can reduce this problem to some extent. Nutritious foods enrich the vital organs, tissues, cells, and tendons and give our body the capability of fighting with diseases. In the following, you will find some helpful guidelines for combating Sciatica.
How diet can help with the inflammation?
Sciatica involves a painful and incapacitating sensation of inflammation. If you really want the pain and inflammation to subside then make positive changes to your diet and lifestyle. But don’t expect quick results as natural foods and proper diet will slowly heal you from inside and it will take more than a fortnight before you feel any changes.
Stick to the healthy meal plans and dietary routine. Evaluate the results only when two weeks have passed. Prostaglandin is a hormone, which is responsible for controlling inflammation. Change in the level of this hormone can either increase or decrease inflammation. A healthy and nutritious diet offers good fatty acids that promote the production of anti-inflammatory prostaglandin hormone. This type of hormone helps in decreasing inflammation within the body.
What should be your approach?
Many feel confused regarding the food they can or cannot eat if they have Sciatica. Some foods can aggravate the condition and cause your condition to deteriorate. Sciatica is often the result of spasms of the piriformis muscles. Magnesium-rich foods help in controlling and reducing such spasms.
Doctors generally advise patients to include more magnesium-rich food in their daily diet. Some foods best for this purpose are fish, meat, seafood, and apples. Lima beans, pulses, apricots, and brown rice should also be a part of your home-cooked meals. Vitamin B12 also helps in controlling Sciatica. Eat liver, clams, oysters, cheese, and lamb meat are all rich sources of Vitamin B12.
Best foods for Sciatica
Start your day with a cup of green tea because it is full of antioxidants, which help in fighting diseases and ward off the free radicals. Start using some spices and herbs in your home cooking. Turmeric, ginger, and garlic are healthy and safe choices that can be used for cooking several dishes. Make sure that you eat foods that offer Omega 3 fatty acids to your body.
The veggies and fruits that are rich in fiber help in preventing constipation. Flushing out the toxins from your physiological system will definitely give your health a positive boost and reduce the inflammation. Foods like sweet potatoes, cabbages, spinach, broccoli, and tomatoes are rich sources of Vitamin C and thus they are good for a patient suffering from Sciatica. Alfalfa, cereals, and vegetable oil offer Vitamin K, which is also necessary for controlling Sciatica.
Summary
Sciatica is not exactly a disease. It can rather be called a symptom that results from an underlying disease or dysfunction. It is really important to find out this disease and start treatment. Along with treatment, eat more natural foods and home-cooked meals for better health.