What can you do to Relieve Sciatica Pain?

You may not want to leave the couch when you’re in excruciating pain and suffering from Sciatica Pain. An injury or a ruptured disk can cause sciatica, as can narrowing of the spine canal (spinal stenosis).                                                                                   

What is Sciatica Pain?

Pain that radiates from your lower (lumbar) spine to the legs through your hips and buttock is sciatica. You might feel the discomfort almost anywhere along the nerve, but it’s especially likely to follow a path from your low back to your buttock and the back of your thigh and calf.

Sciatica pain is typically felt like a constant burning sensation or a shooting pain starting in the lower back or buttock and radiating down the front or back of the thigh and leg and/or feet. Sciatica pain may be associated with insensitivity in the back of the leg.

Sciatica occurs where the sciatic nerve (running from your lower back to your feet) is compressed. It usually gets better in 4 to 6 weeks but can last longer. Depending on the cause, most cases of sciatica go down over time with some simple tone-care treatments.

Tone-care treatments include;

Apply Ice and/or Hot Packs

First of all, use ice packs or a bag of frozen vegetables in a handkerchief on the affected area to reduce pain and lump. After several days, use a hot pack or a heating pad to replace ice packs. Apply it multiple times a day. You can use any of them, whichever suits you and relieve your pain.

Use drugs

You can take drugs to reduce pain, inflammation, and lump. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications are the most common untoward drugs that can get rid of sciatica pain, including; aspirin, acetaminophen, and naproxen. You must be pretty vigilant in taking aspirin as it can cause ulcers and bleeding in some people. 

Performing Gentle Stretches

You must learn proper stretches from an experienced person to perform the most suitable exercises to reduce pain, numbness, and inflammation. Try some general strengthening, core muscle strengthening, and aerobic exercises. 

Sciatica Pain exercises serve the following main benefits

• Reduce acute sciatic nerve pain.
• Improve leg movements.
• Promote soft tissue healing.
• Improve sciatic nerve function.
• Provide muscle and tissue reconditioning.
• Prevent, or minimize recurrence of pain.

Exercise can help improve and nourish the health of your muscles and joints in your spine. It will reduce pressure on your sciatic nerves effectively. When you exercise regularly, your sciatica symptoms may improve in the short term, and you may have lesser recurrences with time. The types of exercise recommended for patients with sciatica include stretching and aerobics. With the doctor’s consent, such daily exercises may prevent further sciatica pain recurrences.

Though it can be a painful and debilitating condition, certain non-invasive treatments generally take care of the pain within a few weeks. A patient with severe sciatica associated with significant leg weakness or changes in their bowels or bladders may be a candidate for surgery. But the earlier stage can be cured with exercise. 

Sciatica Pain Exercises

Sciatica patients who perform specific exercises and stretches may find relief in pain and stiffness in the area surrounding the sciatic nerve. 

Knee to Chest Procedure

1. Lie your back on the floor or mat. 
2. Pull the bent knee toward your chest until it touches your chest while keeping the other foot resting on the floor.
3. Keep holding for 10 seconds
4. Then do the same thing with the other knee.
5. Hold each position for up to 10 seconds and perform 3–5 repetitions of the movement.
6. Afterward, gently pull both knees towards your chest with your hands.
7. Again, keep holding for 10 seconds.
8. Hold both knees in the position for 10 seconds.
9. Repeat the movement 3 to 5 times.

Lower Trunk Rotations Procedure of Sciatica Pain

1. Put your feet flat on the floor and bend your knees upright as you lie on your back.
2. Try rotating your knees to one side while keeping both knees together for about 3 to 5 seconds. You will feel a gentle stretching sensation in the opposite hip and lower back area.
3. Afterward, rotate both knees to the opposite side and hold for 3 to 5 seconds while contracting your abdominal muscles.
4. Repeat this activity 10 times on each side.

Pelvic Tilt Procedure  of Sciatica Pain 

1.  Lie down on your back, keep the feet flat on the floor, and slightly bend the knee that must be at 450 angles from the floor. 
2. Keep both arms at the side of your body. 
3. Slightly lift the hips at 300 angles from the floor.
4.  Take a deep breath that will tighten your abdominal muscles.
5. Hold the position for 5 seconds. 
6. Repeat the activity 10 times, keeping the pelvic tilt for five seconds each time.

Reclining Pigeon Pose(easy yoga pose) Procedure  

1. Put your right leg at a right angle while lying on your back. 
2. Grasp your right thigh with both hands, holding your fingers together in a way that your right foot must be in the air a few feet above the ground.
3. Place your left ankle over your right knee as you lift your left leg.
4. Hold your position for 3-5 seconds. 
5. Exercise your other leg in the same manner.
6. Repeat this activity 10 times on each leg. 

Sitting Spinal Stretch Procedure

1. Your legs should be extended straight out with your feet flexed upward as you sit on the ground.
2. Your right foot should be flat on the floor outside of the opposite knee when you bend your right knee.
3. Place your left elbow just on the top of your bent right knee to gently turn your body to the right.
4. Continue holding the position for 30 seconds and then switch sides to repeat the same activity for the other side.
5. Repeat it 10-15 times on each side. 

Standing Hamstring Stretch Procedure

1. Extend one leg out by placing the heel on a slightly raised surface, such as a stair, ottoman, or curb.
2. Keeping the spine straight, bend at the hip to bring the chest toward the thigh.
3. The other leg that is not being stretched will also bend slightly at the knee.
4. Hold this stretch for 10 to 30 seconds.

Child pose Procedure

1. As you kneel, lower your buttocks onto your heels.
2. Put your arms out in front of your head in a relaxed position.
3. Relax by taking a deep breath. Let the buttocks rest on the heels so that they feel the stretch. 
4. Gently release the position after holding it for 30 seconds.

Glute Bridges Procedure

• Lie on the back with bent legs so that the knees point upward and the feet are flat on the floor about shoulder-width apart.
• Push your heels and lift your hips until the body forms straight from the knees to the shoulders.
• Hold the position for 15 seconds, depending on comfort level, and slowly return the hips to the floor.
• Repeat 8–10 times at first, moving up to multiple sets when it is comfortable to do so.

References:

• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sciatica/symptoms-causes/syc20377435#:~:text=Pain%20that%20radiates%20from%20your,of%20your%20thigh%20and%20calf retrieved on February 19, 2022. 
• https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12792-sciatica retrieved on February 19, 2022.
• https://www.spine-health.com/video/sciatica-interactive-video retrieved on February 19, 2022.
• https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/treatment-for-sciatica retrieved on February 19, 2022.
• https://www.spineuniverse.com/conditions/sciatica/sciatica-self-care-5-home-remedies-low-back-leg-pain retrieved on February 19, 2022.
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/7619 retrieved on February 19, 2022.