Get relief from your sciatica pain
Think you have sciatica pain? Here are some ways to get some relief.
Sciatica, one of the most common forms of back pain, has come to be an overused term identifying many types of back pain, veering from its original meaning. Not all back pain is sciatica, but sciatica can be a form of back pain. And while consultation from a medical professional is the best course of action, there are a few things that you can try at home to limit the pain.
Sciatica is named for the pain that goes down the leg that follows the path of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve runs down the back, through the buttocks and then down the leg. Usually sciatica pain is felt only on one side of the body. The pain can extend just to the butt or down to the feet. It is usually described as numbness, burning or tingling.
There are many possible causes for sciatica. There is an irritation of the sciatic nerve, but where exactly that is coming from needs to be determined by a medical professional and generally will take imaging studies to definitely confirm. One popular cause is disc herniation when a bulging or herniated disc is pressing on the sciatic nerve. This can cause irritation down one or both legs. Another popular cause of sciatica is tightness of the piriformis muscle. This is better diagnosed as piriformis syndrome, but many people classify it under the sciatica diagnosis. The symptoms are numbness and tingling down the leg that can go all the way down into the foot. Here are some ways to minimize the pain.
Sit properly at your desk
One of the things that must be corrected right away when dealing with sciatica is posture, more specifically sitting posture. Whether it is a bulging disc causing the pain, a tight piriformis muscle or another cause, sitting all day with poor posture will only exacerbate the condition. You need to make sure that your desk is properly set up so that your back is in the correct position that does not put too much pressure on your back or cause damage to your muscles.
Take mini breaks throughout the day
Another thing that can be done if you are experiencing pain that have signs and symptoms consistent with sciatica is make sure that you are moving. If you have a desk job, make sure that you are not staying seated for more than 15 minutes at a time. You do not have to take long extended breaks, but just standing up while you are on the phone or just standing up for a minute and then sitting back down allows the muscles to reset, allowing the spine to be positioned in realignment and taking the pressure off the disc.
Stretch out your muscles
The exercises shown on the video are designed to stretch out the muscles and allow them not to irritate the nerve. These are gentle stretches that are not to be done too aggressively, and they should not be painful. When you perform them you should feel a nice gentle stretch. You can perform them as many times as you would like during the day. The one where you are sitting down was designed to be done at your desk, in a meeting or anytime you find yourself sitting for long periods of time. If at any time while you are performing these stretches they increase your pain or increase the numbness and tingling down your leg, you need to stop doing them. Sciatica is not a condition where the "no pain no gain" mentality is employed.
If you feel that you have sciatica, the best thing that you can do is get in to see a medical provider right away to make sure that a correct diagnosis is made and to find the proper fix. In the meantime, however, these stretches may provide you some much needed relief.
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