Soothing sciatica

Q: I've always assumed there was nothing that could be done for sciatica pain. It comes and goes for me. I try to do exercises to strengthen the area when the pain isn't too bad, but I don't think it's doing much good. Do you know of something I could try?

Dr. Wright: There is a treatment for sciatica pain that many Tahoma Clinic patients have reported using with great results: daily injections of 100 milligrams of vitamin B1 and 1,000 micrograms of B12. Eventually the dose is tapered down according to the patient's response.

It's not a cure that works 100 percent of the time, but most people who try it do get relief. There's even a study that backs up my clinical experience. It clearly showed that this simple therapy works, even though most patients with sciatica don't have deficiency in B vitamins.

Of course, I'm not discouraging regular exercises and building and maintaining your strength. But it's good to know there's a treatment that may relieve your pain when your sciatica becomes more acute.

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