It might be the first treatment your doctor recommends for sciatica pain. But new research shows this “solution” doesn’t relieve pain any better than a sugar pill.

Dr. Harley Goldberg, director of spine care services at Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center in California, was the lead researcher of this new study. With his colleagues, he investigated the effectiveness of this common sciatica treatment. They looked at pain relief and overall improvement in physical function compared to a placebo.1

The researchers followed the progress of 269 people with herniated disc-related sciatica for a year. One group took these pills for 15 days. The other group took a placebo.

The findings surprised Dr. Goldberg. But we weren’t shocked…

The side effects of swallowing these pills are well-documented…and severe. We’re talking glaucoma, bone loss, and increased blood pressure. Not to mention increased risk of infections and hormone disruption.2

What are these dangerous and ineffective pills?

Oral steroids.

The results were confusing at first because they had a small effect on improving function… But it did nothing to alleviate pain. In fact, there was no difference between the steroid and placebo groups. That’s a major problem. Think about it…

Why do most sciatica patients go to the doctor in the first place? Because of the pain… Not loss of function. Yet the prescription doctors write for pain relief doesn’t work any better than doing nothing. But there was one major difference between these groups…

The steroid group experienced more side effects. No surprise there. They reported insomnia, increased appetite, and nervousness. That was after just three weeks. As if daily pain and discomfort weren’t enough to deal with.3 And there’s something else…

The steroids did nothing to help avoid the most undesirable outcome of having sciatica in the first place—surgery. But these aren’t the only dangerous medications being pushed on patients…

Narcotic pain relievers can lead to addiction… Frequent use of NSAIDs can cause stomach bleeding and kidney damage. And of course none of these treatments get to the root of the problem anyway. But there are safe and effective natural solutions.

Ginger root extract is a powerful pain reliever. Taking it in supplement form can reduce pain by 25%. Tart cherries are another potent inflammation-fighting food. Eating them can help cut inflammation by 25%. But forget bed rest… Research shows staying active is the answer. Something as simple as staying on your feet longer in the morning can lead to 23% less lower back pain.

In Good Health,

Angela Salerno
Publisher, INH Health Watch

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References:
1http://www.philly.com/philly/health/topics/HealthDay699554_20150519_Steroids_No_Better_for_Sciatica_Pain_Than_Placebo__Study_Finds.html
2http://www.mayoclinic.org/steroids/art-20045692?pg=
3http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/sciatica/sciatica-symptoms