If you’re experiencing lower back pain that seems to radiate down into your legs, you may have sciatica. But where can you turn for sciatica pain relief?
Sciatica is a relatively common complaint, affecting between 10% and 40% of all Americans at some point in their lifetime. Although it’s common, it’s often misunderstood.
Making Sense of Sciatica
The first thing to know about sciatica is that it’s not a medical condition — it’s a set of symptoms.
“Sciatica is a term used to describe pain and other symptoms emanating from the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body,” says Dr. Andrew Castro, a board-certified, orthopedic surgeon at Beaufort Memorial. “If you’re experiencing this type of nerve pain, you may feel discomfort and weakness from your lower back all the way down to your toes.”
Sciatica symptoms usually begin in the lower back and then radiate down the back of the thigh and into the lower extremities, including the legs and feet. Sciatic nerve pain may feel like a cramp in your back or your legs. Instead of appearing and then disappearing quickly like other cramps, such as a charley horse, sciatica pain may linger for days and even weeks.
Along with pain, sciatica symptoms include leg weakness, numbness and an uncomfortable burning and tingling sensation. These symptoms can have several different causes. They may result from wear and tear on the body as you get older, or they could come from pressure on the spine. Spinal pressure may come from an acute injury, like a pelvic fracture or a herniated disk, or from spinal stenosis, which is a narrowing of the spinal canal.
If you’re experiencing lingering back pain and other symptoms described above, check in with your primary care provider. He or she can review your symptoms, talk through your medical history and any health conditions you have, and provide you with medical advice, including whether you should see an orthopedic specialist or a physical therapist.
Read More: Exercise: A Quick Fix for Lower Back Pain
Finding Sciatica Pain Relief
In many cases, sciatic nerve pain goes away on its own within weeks or months. However, when you’re uncomfortable, you may not want to wait that long, and your health care provider can recommend ways to relieve the pain.
Treatment will vary depending on the underlying cause of your sciatic pain but may include nonsurgical options, such as oral or injected medications, the application of heat or cold to the affected area, and physical therapy to improve your range of motion. In some cases, surgery may be needed to treat the underlying cause of pain.
Read More: Coping With Chronic Back Pain
Remaining physically active can be very effective at managing sciatic pain. Although moving may be the last thing on your mind, even something as simple as walking or performing these basic exercises for sciatica can help:
- Knee-to-chest stretch. Lying flat on the floor with your legs extended, bring your left knee to your chest, grasping it with your hands. Gently pull the knee and hold the position for up to 30 seconds, then lower the leg. Repeat on the right side.
- Pelvic tilt. Lie on your back with your legs bent. Tighten your abdominal muscles and press your back into the floor, then tilt your hips upward, holding the position for a few seconds.
- Standing hamstring stretch. From a standing position, place your left foot at or below hip level on a chair or another elevated surface. Keep your toes and leg straight, with a slight bend in your knee. Bend forward toward the foot, holding for at least 30 seconds. Repeat on the right side.
- Clamshell. Lying on your left side with your knees bent, place your left arm under your head. Engage your abdominal muscles. Keep your feet together and raise your right knee, opening the legs like a clamshell. Hold the position for up to 30 seconds, then slowly lower the knee. Repeat on the right side.
There are many other exercises that may help you find relief from sciatic pain, so these are for introductory purposes only. Your medical provider, a physical therapist or even a personal trainer can help coach you through an exercise program that may help ease sciatic symptoms.
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