Sciatica is a common term used to describe a combination of back and related leg pain. Typically the pain travels down the back aspect of the leg and may cross to below the knee. It follows a very specific pathway, but not all back and related leg pain is truly sciatica. That aside, because this is a common issue suffered by many. People who suffer with sciatica tend to report difficulty with sitting, bending over, standing still, and at times finding a comfortable position to sleep.
To help those suffering with sciatica, here are 3 key tips to try if you happen to be dealing with this condition:
- Keep yourself moving. You likely already feel that sitting or lying around hurts so limit those activities. Movement is known to be helpful for many conditions and sciatica is one of them. The body needs to have movement to heal so provide that for the body. In many instances, walking tends to be a position of “relative” comfort for those suffering.
2. When you do sit or drive place a rolled towel or pillow in the small of your back. This helps to provide some support, but more importantly moves the back to a more vertical position and out of a slouched position which tends to be irritating for those with sciatica. Also, if you must sit, try to limit to NO MORE than 30 minutes. After that it is important to get up and moving. This will reduce the time of static compression that gravity places on the body when sitting.
3. Standing back bends or belly press ups. Both of these movements place the spine into “extension”, which is often helpful to shrink the location of pain and/or the intensity. If need be, start in a small range of movement that is comfortable. For some the first few movements will not feel great, but the more most people do, the better they tend to feel.
Don’t take sciatica sitting down. Get yourself moving to feel better…Motion is Lotion. If you have been struggling with sciatica for more than 3 weeks without relief then it is probably good to get some help before it lasts any longer. For more helpful tips for sciatica or back pain, check out this FREE Resource or complete this simple FORM for more information.