How to Address Sciatic Nerve Pain From Home

By admin
21 April, 2020
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Sciatic Nerve Pain

The Sciatic Nerve is one of the largest nerves in the body. It starts in the low back and can contribute to pain felt all the way down to the foot. Many people have experienced some pain or discomfort associated with this nerve. Some people may be able to pinpoint what is going on, while others are left to wonder what is causing all the pain. When someone experiences sciatic nerve pain they can have some or all of the following symptoms: low back pain, Pain in the rear or leg that gets worse when sitting, hip pain, burning or tingling that goes down the leg, weakness, numbness or difficulty moving the leg or foot, constant pain on one side of the glutes that goes down to your foot, sometimes a shooting pain is experienced when standing up.

The best way to find out if you have sciatica is to make an appointment with your primary care doctor. As massage therapists, we cannot diagnose the source of our clients’ pain, only help alleviate the symptoms. Sometimes something as subconscious as putting your wallet into your back pocket can cause pressure on the nerves, which can lead to sciatic nerve pain. Making small changes such as simply taking your wallet out of your back pocket when in a sitting position may decrease the pain you feel. Now that we are generally quarantined, we might be doing a lot more sitting down than we would normally do in everyday life. Below are some things to consider that may help with getting some relief while you are not able to see your massage therapist at Cedar Stone. And as always, make sure you are getting in daily physical activity, drinking plenty of water and consuming the proper nutrition. We are looking forward to seeing you all very soon. Until that time, stay safe and stay healthy.

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The Cat-Cow Exercise

The initial position: standing with all fours on the floor, your hands should be directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.

What to do:

Inhale and lift your head up to look at the ceiling while pushing your belly toward the floor.
Exhale and lower your head to look at your hips while rounding your back toward the ceiling.

Repeat: 15-20 times

This exercise will help you improve your spine’s flexibility and align your hips properly by strengthening your core.

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Hamstring Stretching

The initial position: sitting on the floor with your right leg stretched out in front of you and your left leg bent at the knee while the sole of your left foot is placed against your right inner thigh.

What to do:

Keeping your right knee straight, extend your arms toward your right foot and bend at the waist as far as possible.
Hold for about 15-30 seconds and return to the initial position.

Repeat: 3 times for both legs

This stretch works directly with your hamstring muscles and may help you ease the pain and tightness in them caused by sciatica.

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The Bird-Dog Exercise

The initial position: standing on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.

What to do:

Keeping your back and pelvis still and stable, extend your right arm forward and left leg back.
Hold for a second, then return to the initial position.
Repeat on the other side.

Repeat: 10-15 times

This exercise will help you maintain proper posture, take some pressure off your lower back, and strengthen your glutes.

© bellinipilatesmodesto / instagram

The Butterfly Stretch

The initial position: seated upright with your knees bent so that the bottoms of your feet touch each other.

What to do:

Place your palms where your knees bend and gently press them down toward the ground.
As you press, bend forward at the hips so that your chest is closer to your legs.
Hold for 10-20 seconds.

This pose will help you slowly open your hips and stretch out the gluteus muscles and the piriformis muscle.

Vinegar Foot Soak

About an hour before you go to bed, take a small bucket of warm water, add 500 ml or 16 oz of apple cider vinegar and one cup of salt to it and mix them well. Soak your feet in this bath for about 10-15 minutes, then dry them with a towel and make sure that they stay warm through the night. The next morning, don’t stand or walk on the ground barefoot.

If you repeat the procedure 3-4 times a week, you should experience a decrease in pain due to the anti-inflammatory properties of apple cider vinegar.

© depositphotos.com

Ice Packs and Heating Pads

As a general rule, ice packs are used to reduce inflammation caused by a pinched nerve and also to numb the pain, while the heat helps loosen the muscles around the nerve and relieve the pressure. Both ice and heat are usually applied for about 15-20 minutes and, if necessary, the procedure should be repeated every 2 hours.

Here is some advice you could follow when using ice or cold pads and heat therapy:

Ice packs should be applied for the first 2 or 3 days after the occurrence of acute symptoms. After that, it’s better to use heating pads.
Apply heat before any physical activity to warm up your muscles and to increase blood flow in the area.
Use ice or a cold pack after an activity to cool down the inflammation. Always make sure to put something down to protect the skin when applying ice or heat.
Apply heating pads whenever you’re going to leave a sitting position in order to help your muscles get ready for moving.
Take warm baths before going to bed. It will loosen up your tight muscles and help you sleep better.

Trigger Point Massage

The sciatic nerve is situated underneath the piriformis muscle which sits beneath the muscles of your buttocks. When the piriformis gets tight, it pinches the sciatic nerve and causes tingling and numbness in your leg. To ease these feelings, you should apply pressure to the irritated areas, or trigger points, in the piriformis muscle, as well as in the muscles of your lower back. The best way that we like to hit these points is by using a tennis ball on the floor. When you find the right point, it will refer pain shown in red on the picture. You want to stay on this point until the referred pain subsides. If its too painful use less pressure.

Physical Activity

The golden rule of sciatica prevention is to avoid sitting for many hours without moving. Types of activities such as watching TV or working at a desk may make things worse and increase the pain. So even if you’re not a big sports fan, try to alternate periods of sitting/lying with short walks. Taking a few steps a day will increase blood flow to the nerve and will reduce the inflammation around it.

Proper Posture

While sitting, always support your back and keep your feet on the ground. For this purpose, it’s better to choose a seat with good lower back support, arm rests and a swivel base. You can also slightly elevate your legs by using a book or a small box to reduce the pressure on your spine from sitting for a long period of time.

If you stand for too long, place one foot on a stool from time to time. It will help one of your legs rest while the other one is working so that your chances of suffering from sciatica will decrease.

The Right Sleeping Position

If you suffer from sciatic nerve pain, the best sleeping position for you is to lie flat on your back. To take the pressure off the nerve, it’s better to elevate your knees using a pillow or a rolled-up towel. This position will tilt your pelvis and will help you sleep more comfortably.

Side sleepers should also use a pillow — simply bend your top knee, pull it toward your head, and put a pillow under it in order to align the hips and prevent the occurrence of pain.

Do you know any other ways to treat sciatic nerve pain? Share your experience with us in the comments!

Tags: At Home Care, Hamstring, Heat, Ice, Low Back, Relief, Sciatic, Sciatica, Self-care, Stretches, Stretching, Vinegar Foot Soak