Sciatic nerve pain can be caused by a protruded disc, scar tissue on the nerve root, arthritis, an injury, or extended periods of sitting. Poor posture, excess driving, and aging can also contribute to the problem.
Inversion uses the weight of your upper body to pull down on your lower back, creating negative pressure and increasing blood flow. This also breaks up adhesions and scar tissue.
For the quickest lower back pain relief, try intermittent inversion traction. This involves inverting your body for 1 to 2 minutes and then repeatedly returning to an upright position. It can significantly reduce sciatic nerve pain by targeting the nerve, disc, scar tissue, and blood flow all at once.
Research has shown that inversion therapy increases flexibility, reduces the risk of surgery for sciatica, and can relieve lower back pain better than medication. If you have high blood pressure, glaucoma, or heart problems, check with your doctor before doing inversion therapy.
Start slow with inversion therapy. Begin with a gentle angle of 15–30 degrees for just 1–2 minutes, once or twice a day for the first week. Gradually work up to 5 minutes at a time (in 1-minute intervals) at a 60-degree angle over the next 1–2 weeks. After 3–4 weeks, you can try full inversion for 15–20 minutes, broken into 2-minute intervals, three to four times per week.
Intermittent inversion traction will leave you feeling taller with less sciatic nerve pain. You’ll also feel like you’ve had a fantastic stretch!
Other ways to eliminate sciatica pain include:•Following a low-carb ketogenic diet•Take 20,000 to 30,000 IU of vitamin D3 and 400 mg of magnesium glycinate (include vitamin K2)•Eliminate omega-6 seed oils from your diet•Perform myofascial stretching
You can also perform sciatica stretches without an inversion table! Try the child’s pose with blankets, a wall-assisted leg-up stretch, or lying spinal decompression with a stability ball for sciatic nerve pain relief. Swimming can also be very therapeutic.
Dr. Eric Berg DC Bio:
Dr. Berg, age 60, is a chiropractor who specializes in Healthy Ketosis & Intermittent Fasting. He is the author of the best-selling book The Healthy Keto Plan, and is the Director of Dr. Berg Nutritionals. He no longer practices, but focuses on health education through social media.