If lifting weights causes pain, skip the gym for the next few days. If sitting for too long made your leg pain flare-up, watch your nightly TV by standing up or lying down. It’s different from person to person, but for acute sciatica, your symptoms will typically get better after 4-6 weeks. With chronic sciatica, your symptoms should subside but they may come back in the future. [2] X Trustworthy Source National Health Service (UK) Public healthcare system of the UK Go to source If you have chronic sciatica, you may need to make some fundamental lifestyle changes to avoid whatever behaviors cause the pain. If your acute sciatica goes away after the injury heals, it’s probably okay to go back to that activity in the future.
It’s okay to spend the night watching a movie or something; just try to stand up periodically, walk around your living room, and move around a bit while you’re relaxing. A standing desk is a great idea if you have chronic sciatica. Being able to change your position is a huge part of preventing future injuries, and if you sit for long periods of time, standing up periodically should dramatically help. [4] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
If the sciatic pain runs up and down your leg or back and you don’t really have one spot where the pain is uniquely intense, use multiple ice packs along the entire area. Sciatic pain is usually triggered by muscle inflammation. As the muscle gets bigger, it pushes against the sciatic nerve. As the nerve gets more irritated, it triggers more inflammation in your muscles. As a result, attacking the inflammation directly is a great way to start your recovery time.
Soaking in a warm tub should also bring some relief if you want to relax while you treat the pain. Using ice for 7 days should soothe any inflammation. Once the swelling is down, the heat will help encourage blood flow to the area, which will relax muscles around your nerve. Do not sleep with a heating pad. You may burn or irritate your skin, and you could potentially start a fire. [7] X Research source
Either of these medications should work, but don’t combine them. If you try one and it doesn’t really help, try the other one the next day. Acetaminophen and aspirin are less likely to help curb sciatic pain. They don’t specifically target inflammation, which is the main source of pain for most people with sciatica. [9] X Research source While these medications may help take the edge off, they’re best used as a supplement to your at-home treatment. They shouldn’t be the only thing you’re doing to keep the pain at bay.
You can use two pillows if it’s more comfortable. Keeping your knees bent will give your sciatic nerve some extra breathing room, which will keep your muscles from pinching or pushing against the nerve.
The specific exercises you’ll need to do to relieve the pain is going to differ from person to person, since any part of the sciatic nerve can trigger sciatica. This is worth doing even if you only go for a few weeks. Once the physical therapist helps you build a rehabilitation program, you’ll be able to complete it at home without their assistance. If you have acute sciatica, you treat it at home, and it never comes back, you probably don’t need to pursue physical therapy.
Steroids: These are the most popular option, although they don’t appear to be a good long-term solution. [13] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Tricyclic antidepressants: It sounds odd, but some antidepressants block the same receptors in your brain that interpret nerve pain, which makes them a solid choice for pain management. [14] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Muscle relaxers: These medications help with muscle pain while soothing any inflammation you’re experiencing. They’re also good for muscle spasms. [15] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Anti-seizure medications:[16] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source These medications will help remove any numbness, tingling, and intense pain. [17] X Trustworthy Source MedlinePlus Collection of medical information sourced from the US National Library of Medicine Go to source
These shots are mainly used for back-related issues with sciatica, but you can get them in your knee as well. A steroid injection carries risks like any invasive procedure, but this is a very safe treatment option in the vast majority of cases. If your pain is bad enough that it’s interfering with your daily life, it’s definitely worth exploring injections. [19] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source The pain relief won’t last forever, but you can always get another shot in the future. Some people with chronic sciatica get a shot once or twice a year.
Hamstrings: Lie on your back with one knee bent. Wrap a towel around your other foot and raise that leg up straight. Pull gently and raise your leg as high as you can until you feel it your hamstring. Hold for 30 seconds or so and switch legs. Back: Lie flat on your back and pull one knee to your chest slowly. Hold it for 15-30 seconds and then switch knees. Finish by holding both knees to your chest for 15-30 seconds. Hips and core: The cat and cow pose is great for this. Get on all fours, flex your core, and stick your back up for 15 seconds or so. Then, lower your core as far as you can and hold that for 15 seconds. Do this 2-3 times. Stretching your legs is one of the main ways that sciatica is diagnosed because it will often trigger sciatic pain. [21] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Be careful, and stop immediately if a given stretch causes you pain.
While a herniated or bulging disk may be the most common cause of sciatica, it can also be caused by a cyst or tumor on your spine, stenosis, bone spurs, or degeneration of the spine due to injury or age. [23] X Trustworthy Source Johns Hopkins Medicine Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital Go to source The risks for sciatic surgery can be fairly high, and doctors are unlikely to approve sciatic surgery if you haven’t gone to physical therapy or tried other treatments first. Try not to get frustrated. It can be hard living with sciatic pain, but surgery may be unnecessary. [24] X Trustworthy Source Johns Hopkins Medicine Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital Go to source
