Sciatica is pain along the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower spine down the back of each leg. The pain is usually triggered by muscles and bones pinching the sciatic nerve and can last from four to eight weeks, says the Mayo Clinic. Medications for sciatica include antidepressants and anticonvulsants to relieve pain, steroid injections, muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatories. These medications can have unpleasant side effects, especially if taken for long-term pain. Herbs may be as effective in relieving sciatica without the dangerous side effects.
Black Cohosh
Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) is traditionally used to relieve menstrual cramping, rheumatoid muscle and joint pain. Its antispasmodic actions benefit sciatica by relaxing the muscles in the lower back, relieving pressure on the sciatic nerve. In his 2003 book, "Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine," herbalist David Hoffmann states that black cohosh is a relaxing nervine that is helpful for sciatica. Black cohosh contains salicylic acid, which is chemically similar to the acetylsalicylic acid in aspirin, and gives black cohosh anti-inflammatory properties that relieve sciatica pain by reducing the inflammation around the nerve endings. A study in the May 2004 issue of "The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics" found that the phytoestrogen known as cimicifugoside inhibits receptors that regulate nerve pain. Black cohosh affects estrogen receptors, so do not use it while pregnant or breastfeeding.
Kava
Kava (Piper methysticum) is a sedative herb that relieves pain and muscle spasms and relaxes and protects nerves. Muscle tension that compresses the sciatic nerve can lead to sciatica pain. Mayo Clinic calls one type of muscle tension the piriformis syndrome, named after the piriformis muscle that runs just above the sciatic nerve. When this muscle becomes tense or spastic, it can compress the sciatic nerve. Kava is a well-known muscle relaxant. A study in the September 2002 issue of "Planta Medica" found that kavain, one of the active ingredients in kava, known as kavalactones, inhibited smooth muscle contraction and enhanced muscle relaxation. In his 2009 monograph on kava, herbalist Steven Foster states that the kavalactones in kava act directly on muscles to relieve tension, rather than blocking nerve signals, as do many anticonvulsant drugs.
St. John's Wort
St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a popular antidepressant drug, but it also has a long history of treating muscle spasms and nerve pain, especially when they occur in the lower back. More than 2,000 years ago, the ancient Greek physician Dioscorides prescribed St. John's wort mixed with honey-water to treat sciatica. A study in the 2010 issue of "Biochemical Pharmacology" confirms that the plant chemicals hyperforin and hypericin in St. John's wort reversed hyperalgesia, which is a heightened sensitivity to pain. In the study, hyperforin and hypericin inhibited the enzymes involved in regulating nerve pain.
White Peony and Licorice
White peony (Paeonia lactiflora) and licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) are combined in a formula known as Jakyak-Gamcho, used throughout China, Japan and Korea to treat muscle and nerve spasms. In his 2001 book, "The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook," herbalist Alan Tillotson, Ph.D., recommends using herbs that relieve spasms to treat sciatica and notes that traditional Chinese medicine doctors use white peony and licorice roots in high doses for a short time to relieve spasms. Peony and licorice both have antispasmodic properties and are rich in antioxidants, which fight free radical damage and reduce inflammation. A study published in the 2005 issue of the "American Journal of Chinese Medicine" found that it is the antioxidants in Jakyak-Gamcho, particularly in peony, that may be neuroprotective.
References
- "Medical Herbalism: the Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine;" David Hoffmann; 2003
- "Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics;" Phytoestrogen Cimicifugoside-Mediated Inhibition of Catecholamine Secretion by Blocking Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor in Bovine Adrenal Chromaffin Cells; K.C. Woo, et al; May 2004
- Mayo Clinic
- "Planta Medica;" Kavain Attenuates Vascular Contractility Through Inhibition of Calcium Channels: H.B. Martin, et al; September 2002
- Steven Foster
