As the largest nerve in the body, the sciatic nerve starts at your spinal cord and runs down both of your legs. Injury to this nerve can cause numbness, tingling and pain, making it difficult to function. Finding immediate relief for sciatic pain allows you to return to life quickly.
“Sciatic pain affects up to 40% of people at some point in life, and it normally happens during their 40s,” says Mary Descaro, physical therapist at Beaufort Memorial Outpatient Rehabilitation Services. “Fortunately, it’s very treatable, and most cases only require home care.”
Find Immediate Relief for Sciatic Pain on Your Own
To find immediate relief for sciatic pain, you may need an ice pack, heating pad or some exercise. Ease sciatic pain with the following at-home treatments:
- Apply a heating pad or ice pack to the hurting body parts. Start with 15-minute periods of ice, multiple times daily. After a few days, apply heat to help speed healing.
- Build up your core strength. A stronger core lowers your risk of experiencing sciatic nerve-related pain.
- Keep moving. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends against letting sciatic pain keep you in bed. They encourage you to be as active as possible.
- Lift with your legs. Proper lifting technique prevents injury that can cause sciatica (various problems that cause sciatic pain).
- Pay attention to pain triggers. If an activity leads to sciatic pain, avoid that activity.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Being obese increases your risk for sciatic nerve pain. Lose the extra pounds, and you may have fewer sciatic episodes.
- Stand up straight. Good posture helps reduce your risk for sciatica pain.
- Stretch your lower back and hamstrings. Gentle stretches strengthen the area through which the sciatic nerve runs.
Read More: Looking for Sciatica Pain Relief? These 4 Exercises May Help
Medicating Sciatic Pain
If at-home techniques don’t help you find immediate relief for sciatic pain, your local pharmacist, physical therapist or primary care provider can help.
Treatments they offer include:
- Over-the-counter medications. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) provide pain relief and reduce inflammation. Examples include aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen.
- Prescription medications. Stronger medications can reduce intense pain. Muscle relaxants can reduce muscle spasms that cause sciatica. Corticosteroids can reduce inflammation when NSAIDs do not.
- Physical therapy (PT). Perform special exercises to gain strength and learn to move your body in ways that help prevent pain. Research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that an early referral to see a physical therapist is helpful and intervention helped patients enjoy better results for longer.
- Injections. Your provider injects corticosteroids directly into the area causing pain, reducing inflammation and relieving sciatica pain.
Surgical Intervention for Sciatic Pain
If you can’t achieve sciatica pain relief after three months, it may be time to consider spinal surgery.
“Surgery is always the last resort for patients hoping to find immediate relief for sciatic pain,” Descaro says. “However, when appropriate, surgery often restores range of motion and helps you return to a pain-free life.”
The surgical option that addresses your pain is based on the cause of your sciatic pain. Two common surgical options include:
- Abscess draining or removal. An epidural abscess is a type of infection within the spinal cord. These infections can cause sciatic pain, weakness, and other problems. To resolve the problem, a surgeon drains or removes the infection.
- Spinal decompression. Some sciatica pain occurs when a herniated disc or bone fragment presses against the sciatic nerve and reduces blood flow. During spinal decompression, a surgeon removes the herniated disc or bone spur. The surgeon may also open the space where nerves leave the spine. If appropriate, the surgeon may fuse the spinal column for spinal stability.
Read More: Help for Back and Neck Pain: Is Surgery Always Necessary?
Wondering What Is Causing Your Sciatic Pain?
Pain that starts in the lower back and travels down your leg may be linked to your sciatic nerve. The pain may feel like an electric shock or burning.
Detecting the cause of the pain can help get you started on finding relief for sciatic pain. When you visit with your provider, they will examine you, and the two of you will discuss your symptoms and medical history in order to establish a diagnosis. During the exam, you may stand, squat, walk or perform other activities to see which positions trigger the pain. When necessary, you may undergo an MRI or other imaging exam.
“Most sciatic pain doesn’t require formal treatment, but some cases are more difficult,” Descaro says. “Understanding the root cause often opens the door to proper treatment and full recovery.”
Are you looking for relief for sciatic pain? Find a spine specialist at Beaufort Memorial who can help you find the relief you need.