Sciatica is a common form of back discomfort and pain. The term “sciatica” describes the pain experienced in the sciatic nerve. This nerve expands from each side of the lower spine, runs through the pelvis, and continues down the back of the legs and into the feet.
When pressure irritates the sciatic nerve, sufferers experience buttock and thigh pain that radiates down the leg. The pain is often described as a burning sensation with sharp pain. Other potential symptoms of sciatica include tingling numbness and weakness in the legs.
Many factors contribute to the onset of sciatica, including sitting for prolonged periods or twisting when lifting, resulting in back strain and nerve irritation. The likelihood of an occurrence increases as age progresses, and pregnant women often have this complaint with the pressure of the baby irritating the nerve.
Let’s explore a few helpful tips meant to relieve the pressure and alleviate the pain and discomfort.
Relief Of Sciatic Nerve Pain and Discomfort
The sciatic nerve can cause patients discomfort when under pressure. The pain ranges from an aching sort of mild discomfort to shooting severe pain that travels from the buttock down into the leg. The simplest way to relieve sciatic nerve pain is to alleviate the pressure.
For a permanent cure, one of a few different types of surgeries could be the solution; however, it’s not right for everyone. Conservative treatments are usually the go-to for fast relief, including physiotherapy with a credentialed, quality therapist.
Clinics such as Advantage Physiotherapy focus on relieving the compression and alleviating the radiating pain through the buttocks and down into the legs to help restore function and mobility. A few common physiotherapy techniques to help sciatic pain include:
- Postural correction
- Spinal mobilization
- Manual therapies such as tissue and joint mobilization/release
- Mechanical traction
- Care plan of prescribed stretches and exercises for stabilization and improved mobility
It’s critical to consult with a physiotherapist for proper stretches and exercises; the provider will instruct on what can help and what will not. Go here for exercises commonly used for sciatic nerve compression. Here are tips to help with pressure relief.
Hot/cold packs
Some physiotherapists advise patients to begin treating at home using ice or heat, particularly if the pain is the result of an injury. Ice reduces inflammation, which in turn alleviates the sciatic pressure. You should refrain from placing ice directly on your skin and limit the time to roughly 20 minutes.
After roughly 72 hours of ice treatments, heat can be applied, such as a heating pad also for approximately 20 minutes. Heat calms muscle tension and spasming, helping to reduce discomfort and stress.
If the pain persists after a couple of days of applying heat, alternate between ice and heat. The objective is to stick with the solution that offers the greatest benefit.
Meds
Before considering over-the-counters to relieve pain symptoms and reduce inflammation, speak with your medical provider for guidance as to which would be the most effective in your circumstances. Commonly recommended:
- Naproxen sodium
- Acetaminophen
- NSAIDs
- Aspirin
Your physical therapist will evaluate for a concrete diagnosis and develop a treatment plan to address the underlying issue creating the symptoms. They may suggest an over-the-counter while the symptoms are at their worst.
Keep active
The last thing people want to do when experiencing discomfort and pain is move; most prefer to hold themselves, still typically resulting in stiffening, weakness, and added pain. It may be challenging, but it’s important to push through the symptoms by keeping active.
It’s sort of striking a balance between rest and activity. You want to avoid overdoing it; it’s a matter of listening to your body. When it’s had enough, your body will react with exacerbated symptoms.
Still, moving periodically with gentle stretches incorporated into the activity could be enough for a rapid relief of the pain and discomfort.
Consult a physiotherapist
Medical providers typically refer patients for physiotherapy for treatment and management of sciatic nerve compression. Physiotherapists incorporate rapid relief remedies such as heat/ice, stretching, massage, and flexibility and strengthening exercises.
The therapist aims to resolve the underlying cause of the symptoms, provide pain relief solutions, and prevent worsening or a potential flare-up. Physiotherapists collaborate with the patient’s doctor to develop a tailored treatment plan that, ultimately restores function and mobility.
Some patients can experience rapid relief of sciatic nerve pain and discomfort with simple targeted stretches issued by the PT.
Primary care physician
It’s critical to know when it’s time to see a doctor. Many times, people will wait, believing that symptoms will ease up after some time.
If you aren’t seeing relief from the sciatic nerve pressure using conservative treatments, the pain symptoms have exceeded a six-month time span, or you’re having tingling and numbness, a physician should be consulted. The doctor can then refer you to the appropriate specialist.
The specialist will perform an initial consultation and exam with imaging, which will help them to determine the best course of treatment.
Specialized physiotherapy professionals look into the specific body part intricacies to find a solution specific to your needs, one that will correct the underlying issue and help with the management of the resultant symptoms.
This will help ensure the condition doesn’t worsen and helps to prevent the potential for flare-ups down the road.
You are here: home » diagnostic medical imaging blog »
