To minimize stress to the sciatic nerve while sitting, it is recommended to sit straight with the shoulders rolled back and shoulder blades down. The legs must be hip-distance apart with feet flat on the floor.
There are four sciatica exercises your spine specialist may recommend to help you reduce sciatic nerve pain caused by degenerative disc disease: pelvic tilt, knee to chest, lower trunk rotations, and all fours opposite arm and leg extensions.
The best way to treat sciatica is through stretching, which will help you maintain a healthy spine and lessen the chance of future flare-ups. You can also do exercises that strengthen your core and lower body, which may help to decrease pain.
Even though it probably hurts to some degree, walking is actually good for sciatica. Dr. Shah points out that walking promotes blood flow throughout the body, and can even make the nerves more resilient.
Many cases of sciatica go away within four to six weeks without needing professional medical treatment. More severe cases may also take weeks or months to get better, especially if you have more severe symptoms.
The first is located just behind the big toe, and the second is located under the ball of the foot. To release these points, you can use a lacrosse ball or tennis ball. Place the ball under your foot and roll it around until you find a tender spot. Once you find a tender spot, apply pressure and hold for 30-60 seconds.
Sitting too much can also trigger or worsen sciatica pain. Sitting is another activity that puts a lot of pressure on your glute muscles, lower back, and sciatic nerve. Moving around gives your sciatic nerve a break, a chance to stretch and allow blood to flow to the area.
When you're stressed, irritation and inflammation tend to worsen, and since sciatica involves inflammation around the sciatic nerve, it makes sense your symptoms could worsen when you're feeling anxious. Plus, being stressed often causes an increase in muscle tension, which can exacerbate irritation around the nerve.
In addition to providing hydration, drinking water has the potential to alleviate sciatica, a common source of lower back and leg pain. Drinking water can slow the progression of symptoms and ease discomfort.
Massage therapy can be an important part of your sciatica treatment plan—providing temporary but effective pain relief, stimulating your body to produce natural pain-relieving hormones, and enhancing the body's own healing abilities. A massage can also provide an overall relaxing and enjoyable experience.
While sciatica pain can be debilitating, chiropractic treatment can relieve it gently and naturally. This care entails treating the pain without costly and harmful side effects.
Sciatica Stretch: Figure 4
Lie on your back with bent knees, feet flat on bed. Cross your right ankle over your left knee (in the shape of a "4"). Grasp your hands behind your left knee and gently pull your legs toward chest as you press right knee away from your chest. Hold for 30 seconds for 1 rep.
Use a raised toilet seat or install a handrail next to the toilet to help take pressure off your back when you sit on and get up from the toilet. Also make sure the toilet paper is easy to reach.
One of the big red flags for diagnosing sciatica is that the pain is usually limited to only one side of the body. Other red flags that indicate sciatica include pain when standing or sitting, numbness in the legs and weakness or numbness when moving a leg or foot.
Processed and sugary foods can increase inflammation, worsening sciatic nerve pain. Avoid eating foods high in saturated fat, processed carbohydrates, and added sugars to reduce your risk of sciatica flare-ups.