Painkillers, pills and injections for sciatica

Sciatica is called the pain associated with inflammation or irritation of the nerve root in its exit from the vertebral column. Radix (radix) means "root" in Latin language. The cause of sciatica is often entrapment of the nerve at the exit from the vertebral column.

how to ease the pain of sciatica

Sciatica requires examinations by a doctor and treatment that treats the cause of disease. However, at the beginning of an attack of sciatica the person is often one-on-one with the pain. How to relieve acute-onset back pain or neck – that is what will be discussed below.

To combat radicular pain syndrome there are four types of painkillers (or analgesics): preparations for oral administration (tablets), injection means (injections) and pain medicine for external use (ointment and patches), local anaesthetics for infiltration of the introduction (the purpose of the blockade of nerve).

Tablets

Pain relievers in pill form, used for sciatica, come in a vast group of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). All drugs in this class possess both analgesic and anti-inflammatory, i.e. A therapeutic effect. Group of NSAIDs, in turn, divided into subgroups:

  • acetic acid derivatives (the most popular representatives – Ketorolac, diclofenac);
  • oxicam (lornoxicam, meloxicam);
  • propionic acid derivatives (ibuprofen, Ketoprofen);
  • fenamate (mefenamovaya acid)
  • coxib (rofecoxib, celecoxib);
  • other (nimesulide).

As narcotic analgesics, they are rarely used when radicular pain syndrome, since NSAIDs are usually sufficient to relieve the pain.

do Not have a direct analgesic effect of the so-called muscle relaxants, for example, tolperizon. However, they are often prescribed for pain in the back or neck with the purpose to relieve muscle spasm, which also contributes to the alleviation of suffering.

What kind of pills from the group of NSAIDs better? There are no studies unequivocally proved the advantage of one sub-group of the medicines over the other in strength of pain relief. Much depends on individual peculiarities of the organism.

Although many of these drugs can be bought without prescription, it is better to purchase analgesic to agree with the doctor. When choosing the drugs for pain should consider the presence of concomitant diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, heart.

So, most NSAIDs affect the stomach lining and the kidneys. Some of them have cardiotoxicity, i.e. with long-term use can damage the heart muscle.

Tablets are the most convenient in everyday use, so are the most popular form of analgesics.

Injecting funds

In principle, the majority of medicines are available in tablets, exist in the form of injections. The benefit of injection before a tablet forms of drugs in a more rapid onset of effect. Tablet still need to overcome the gastro-intestinal tract, and intravenous injection the active substance is in the bloodstream instantly and are immediately ready to act.

The Lack of injections – their pain. In addition to the implementation of injections you need the ability to do them and aseptic conditions.

Plasters and ointments

The Application of plasters and ointments – a good way of dealing with pain. From the patch drug can be released gradually over many hours maintaining the analgesic effect.

The Lack of patches and ointments is the very method of their application. People often difficult to attach the patch to the affected area (back), but assistants are not always near. Ointment requires time for application and drying.

Drugs to blockade of nerve

local anesthetics, e.g., lidocaine, has no meaning to say. This is a good way to relieve the pain of sciatica, but to use it, you must, as a minimum, get to a doctor. The essence of the blockade is that close to the spine of the patient nerve is a shot of anesthetic ("freezing" medication). This method requires special skills and is not suitable as a means of self-help.

However you need to remember about its existence. The blockade effective and relatively safe.

Thus, there are many ways of dealing with pain in the neck and back with sciatica. Pain pills remain by far the most convenient means of self-help for any radicular pain.

It is also Necessary to say that it is impossible in a short review to cover all ways of dealing with pain. For example, in certain types of back pain, a good helping of antiepileptic drugs. To find the optimal anesthetic drug by a doctor. So when sciatica necessarily require medical advice.