Sciatica is a relatively common condition in which pressure on your sciatic nerve causes pain in the back, buttocks, and legs. This pain can be fleeting or persistent, severe or minimal. It depends on the cause of your condition. Sciatica remedies at home can help you keep moving, minimize discomfort, and promote healing.
But it’s important to undertake these home remedies carefully. It’s all too easy to make your injury or your symptoms worse. If you’re not quite sure what to do, you should talk to your chiropractor about exercise and activities you can do at home that will help you manage sciatica symptoms.
Sciatica is Caused by Pressure on Your Sciatic Nerve
Your sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. Sciatica occurs when this nerve becomes compressed or pressured. Often, this is due to a herniated disk putting pressure on the nerve or an inflamed muscle doing the same. Taking a fall in the workplace, for example, can result in swelling of the injured muscles. And this swelling can put pressure on the sciatic nerve. This pressure can cause intense, hard to ignore pain that runs all the way down your leg.
Most people try to treat their sciatica at home before they see a healthcare professional. That’s sensible, unless your sciatica is caused by trauma, such as a car accident (in those cases, it’s a good idea to make an appointment with your provider as soon as you can).
Common Sciatica Remedies at Home
These home remedies for sciatica are typically easy enough for anyone to do. They include the following:
- Stretching: Doing some gentle stretches can help loosen up your muscles, and that could be good for your sciatica. That’s because stretching can improve the flexibility of your spine and your overall range of motion. (The building of core strength doesn’t hurt either!) If you’re already coping with sciatica symptoms, make sure to start with stretching that’s light, easy, and low intensity. Nothing should hurt! Just do your best to get a little flexible.
- Activity: When your sciatica flares up, it’s going to hurt. And that pain can leave you feeling immobilized. Why would you want to go for a walk when every step hurts? So you end up on the couch for days at a time. Unfortunately, lack of movement can make your symptoms worse. That’s why it’s a good idea to try some light exercise. Gift an easy and leisurely walk around the block. Don’t do anything that hurts too much, but try to avoid long periods of sitting or laying. If you have any questions about this, talk to your chiropractor for guidance.
- Ice packs: Using an ice pack can help reduce inflammation of your muscles. And when the muscles become less inflamed and the swelling goes down, the pressure on the sciatic nerve is minimized. That means your symptoms can become more manageable. In most cases, a 15-minutes-on-15-minutes-off approach is best when it comes to ice packs. Some patients will also swear by ice packs followed by heating packs. Use the method that works best for you.
- Over the counter pain medications: In some cases, over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications, such as Tylenol or ibuprofen, can help you manage your sciatica symptoms. However, it’s important to note that these medications will do nothing to address the underlying causes of your nerve pain. So you shouldn’t take OTC pain medications for more than a few days before scheduling an appointment with your chiropractor.
- Improving your posture: Your posture can have a significant impact on your sciatica pain. Adopting a posture that’s taller and more open can help you decompress the spine and minimize pressure on the sciatic nerve. Try to sit up straighter and avoid slouching. You can also talk to your provider about ways to improve your posture.
Not every home remedy will work for every individual. It may take you some time to find what works best for your symptoms. If you find that nothing works, however, you may want to contact your chiropractor.
When Should You See a Chiropractor?
At Diaspo Chiropractic And Physical Therapy, we have years of experience helping patients that are struggling with sciatic pain. We can help you identify the cause of your sciatica and implement fast-acting solutions that don’t require surgery or strong painkillers.
You should consider seeing a chiropractor if:
- Your sciatica started after an auto accident injury or work related injury.
- Your symptoms persist for more than a few weeks.
- Your symptoms are severe or interfere with your daily life.
- You are using OTC pain medication to manage your symptoms.
How Will a Chiropractor Help?
Chiropractors are specially trained to help with musculoskeletal issues, including sciatica. Most treatments will consist of improving your range of motion and flexibility, as well as spinal decompression. This approach can help you manage pain and promotes faster healing.
What’s more, a chiropractor will be able to provide you with a concrete diagnosis. Sciatica, after all, is merely a symptom. Often, it’s important to know what the underlying cause is.
Get Experienced Help for Your Sciatica
Sometimes sciatica remedies for home will work. And that’s fantastic! It means that your injury was not particularly severe and that your body did a great job of healing itself.
But sometimes your body needs a little help. The chiropractic team at Diapso has years of experience helping sciatica patients feel better and get back to their old level of mobility. Contact our office today to schedule a consultation!
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