Sciatica – 4 top tips

Sciatica is a very common symptom and I’m sure we all know someone who has been unfortunate enough to experience it if we haven’t had it before ourselves. Here are some top tips to cope with sciatica.

1. Know what you’re dealing with

If you have been to see a professional such as a Doctor, Physio or a Chiropractor you can be given a diagnosis for why you have sciatica. For us, finding out the root cause of any injury causing an individual pain is the most important thing, as it allows targeted advice, which can be more effective in helping people with their sciatic pain. For example the advice we give patients at the clinic who have sciatica as a result of a bulging disc will differ from those who have sciatica due to tight muscles or piriformis syndrome.

2. Stop bending for damaged discs

If you have been diagnosed with a disc injury at the clinic we can offer specific Chiropractic treatment based on your symptoms. Then the main advice we emphasise to patients with disc problems causing sciatica is to minimise bending as much as possible. This doesn’t just mean bending to lift things which are heavy, this means not bending when you are getting out of bed, brushing your teeth, washing your face, putting on your shoes or socks, preparing food in the kitchen and so on. Every time you bend improperly you will put pressure on the discs and if they are bulging onto the sciatic nerve this will not help. Once you have had treatment it is easier to move your body and your Chiropractor will show you how to lean and reach correctly minimising the cause of sciatica. Until then just try your best not to bend over as often!

3. Relax muscles causing sciatica

If your problem is for example due to muscular tightness causing pressure onto the sciatic nerve then we will want to relieve that pressure by relaxing those muscles. Heat will relax muscles so you may find it useful to put a hot water bottle on the area of pain down the leg, or have a warm bath. You can also relieve tight muscles by stretching the glutes (lie on your back and hug the knee towards the opposite shoulder until you get a comfortable stretch into the muscle). At the clinic we go a little bit deeper in our assessment and find out why those muscles are tight in the first place, and target our treatment at the cause, not the effect.

4. Move more, sit less.

Ok, so maybe you dont have to find this lake and copy the exact pose, but lets get moving! This is the advice which is appropriate whether you have a disc problem or a muscular problem causing your sciatica. The more you sit it will put pressure on the joints, muscles, discs and nerves, which will add more pressure onto the sciatic nerve giving you those unpleasant symptoms of sciatica. Conversely getting up and pottering around will gently loosen up those stiffer areas and can help your recovery.

There are many causes of sciatica, and our job is to figure out exactly what the cause is for you and how best to manage it, both in the short and long term. We use an integrated approach at the clinic offering different types of Chiropractic treatment, techniques to loosen tight muscles, and specific rehabilitation exercises. These treatments help you recover from sciatica, however please use the above tips to manage your own sciatica better or to stop it coming on in the first place!

If you need a diagnosis and treatment then please call us or book an appointment to see us when you need.

Andrew Harlow – Derby Chiropractor