Sciatica pain, which can manifest in both acute and chronic form, usually emanates from the lumbar region, travelling downwards along the route of the sciatic nerve. This often extremely debilitating pain can be a constant dull ache, or develop into sharp burning pain.

From the western medicine point-of-view, sciatica pain arises from the inflammation of the sciatic nerve and is usually treated with prescription anti-inflammatory drugs. However, these drugs treat only the symptoms without addressing the root cause of the problem. Additionally, they can give people the false sensation of being pain free, so that instead of resting their body when it is going through the inflammatory stage, they continue on as though nothing was amiss, which can cause further damage of the inflamed nerve.

Traditional Chinese medicine classifies sciatica pain as Bi Syndrome. There are two causes.

The first type relates to acute sciatica nerve inflammation. A weakened defensive mechanism allows wind, cold, or damp pathogens to enter the body via the bladder channel, causing qi and blood obstruction of the system. Energy obstruction causes muscle spasm, which in turn causes nerve inflammation. The onset may be sudden: the patient usually wakes up suffering the pain without any prior warning.

This type of pain does not have to have obvious physical trauma such as muscular injury. It can simply happen when the person is weak (qi and blood deficiency in TCM). It may occur after a late night with lots of smoking, or drinking, which depletes liver and kidney function, or after an emotional trauma, which weakens muscular and nervous system strength.

The treatment for acute sciatica pain is relatively simple. Acupuncture is extremely effective, to the extent that one good treatment may be sufficient. I usually prescribe a high-quality magnesium supplement such as Fibroplex to relax the muscle, repair the nerve and effectively eliminate the excess lactic acid formed due to the traumatic pain. This will also allow the healing to take place rapidly.

If the patient is at a weak stage, treatment needs to continue even if the patient is pain free. Otherwise, the inflammation will return very quickly.

Chronic sciatic pain, on the other hand, can be caused by problems such as a protruded disc, disc degeneration, spinal tumour, calcification or chronic soft tissue damage in the lumbar region. This type of pain can be dull, but intensifies if the patient stands in one position too long. While it usually eases when lying down, the discomfort is always present.

Treatment for this type of sciatica pain is more complicated due to its degenerative and chronic nature. The first step is settling down the nerve inflammation and giving the patient some comfort by alleviating the pain. Again, a good acupuncture treatment forms the basis for this: it can alleviate 60 per cent of the chronic pain. Many patients suffering this type of pain have had acupuncture, but found it ineffective. This is not because acupuncture doesn’t work, but because it is not properly performed.

Medical investigation via X-ray or CT scan is essential in order to determine the severity of the degeneration. Once these confirm the cause of the pain, I design a nutritional program to provide long-term support to the patient. The chronic degenerative nature of this condition renders this support crucial: nutrition for the muscular, skeletal and nervous systems is the only way to prevent progression of the degeneration.

If disc degeneration has occurred, I prescribe bovine cartilage to support and rebuild the discs. This can also be used for spinal tumours as it helps prevent tumour growth. Patients with calcification are given the mineral silica, or the herb horsetail. Additionally, I use a powerful TCM herbal medicine called Zheng Gu Shui as a topical spray for local soft tissue trauma.

If you have history of sciatica pain, prevention is essential. Ensure you eat an optimal, nutritious diet. Perform back strengthening exercises: swimming, yoga and stretching are excellent. Buy the best quality firm mattress you can afford: never sleep on a soft mattress. Be aware of your posture at all times.

Finally, here is a traditional Chinese recipe for bone and disc support that helps prevent any type of pain caused by disc degeneration. Buy one kilo of veal joint, wash with warm water, place the veal joint in a pot with 2 litres of water, bring it up to boil for 20 minutes, simmer for one hour. Put the stock in the fridge, and drink one cup a day.

This article was first published in the magazine “Nature and Health”

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