Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia
The earliest written records of back pain treatment come from Egyptian papyri dating back to around 1500 BCE. The Ebers Papyrus, one of the oldest medical documents, contains descriptions of back pain and recommended treatments including herbal poultices and salves made from myrrh, frankincense, and other resinous substances.
While these treatments were primarily aimed at pain relief, the understanding of nerve anatomy was rudimentary. Egyptian physicians recognized that pain could radiate down the limbs but attributed it to imbalances in bodily humors or spiritual causes.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
In ancient China, sciatica-like symptoms were described as part of disruptions in Qi (life energy) and blood flow. Techniques such as acupuncture, moxibustion (burning herbs near the skin), and herbal medicines like gou teng (Uncaria sinensis) were applied to relieve nerve pain and inflammation.
Chinese herbal formulas containing anti-inflammatory and analgesic plants laid an early foundation for medicinal approaches to nerve-related pain, although the biomedical understanding of sciatica did not exist.
Ancient Greece and Rome
Greek and Roman physicians made significant advances in anatomical knowledge. Hippocrates (circa 460–370 BCE) described conditions resembling sciatica and recommended therapies such as manual manipulation, traction, and baths.
Galen (circa 129–c. 216 CE), the prominent Roman physician, linked the spinal cord and nerves to sensory and motor function. He also recommended topical preparations, opium derivatives for pain, and herbal concoctions. Still, treatments were based on humoral theory. shutdown123