Sciatica is a common condition that affects many of us throughout our lifetimes. The outcome and severity of sciatica is largely determined by the timing of intervention.
This means that knowing what to do when it strikes is paramount.
Sciatica is quite literally a pain in the butt and often times pain down the legs and into the back as well.
Common symptoms look like this...
Pain that radiates from the lower back and/or buttocks and down the back of the leg.
The pain may feel sharp, burning, aching, or like a jolt.
Pain may be worse when coughing, sneezing, or prolonged sitting.
May also experience burning, numbness, or tingling.
Many people do not realize that 'Sciatica' is simply a term for a set of symptoms (back and leg pain, numbness etc.) and is not a condition in and of itself.
This is an important distinction because, to relieve the symptoms, its vital to get to the underlying cause of the pain.
Sciatica symptoms can come from a number of sources including the back, hip muscles, etc.
What To Do...
The stretch shown below is the best stretch for Sciatica provided you can do it with minimal discomfort. As is the case with any stretch, if it's too painful you need to stop.
How long should you hold this stretch you ask? See my previous Blog Post about that here...https://www.drrosshanson.com/blog/stretching-made-simple
There are modifications of the above stretch, but it really is the best one to do.
This stretch plus walking are the best thing you can do to get a
leg up on this very annoying condition.
What Not To Do...
The other main point about Sciatica pain is that if you do have Sciatica, you need to be aware and careful about what you sit on. You do not want to sit on any hard chairs, this can further compress the Sciatic nerve and make your symptoms WORSE.
The advice of stretching and walking are going to be successful in many cases. This is the best prescription with those with mild to moderate sciatica. If it's really bad, you're going to need help. Many time the muscles in the back of the hip and low back are the ones creating the compression and inflammation and those will need to be treated with Laser Therapy and mobilization techniques.
Feel free to reach out if you need help or have any additional questions.
Dr. Hanson