How to Relieve Your Sciatic Nerve Pain

Sciatica can be debilitating. One day, you feel fine. The next, you experience a flare-up, and you’re laid up, feeling like you can hardly move. 

Even mild sciatic nerve pain can be disruptive, affecting “your lower back, hips, buttocks or legs. Some symptoms may [even] extend as far down as your feet and toes, depending on the specific nerve(s) affected.” 

If this sounds familiar, you’ve likely tried some of these remedies for how to relieve sciatic nerve pain at home and with professionals already. 

Still, in the interest of comprehensiveness, below, we cover seven short- and long-term methods for how to relieve sciatic pain.

1. Medication, Cryotherapy, & Heat Therapy

The Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital recommends medication, cold, and heat therapy for more immediate-term sciatica relief:

• Medication: Pain medications can alleviate sciatic pain in the short run, including Acetaminophen (Tylenol®), Aspirin (Bayer®), NSAIDs (Motrin® and Advil®), and Naproxen sodium (Aleve®).
• Cryotherapy: Using an ice pack covered in a towel in 15-20 minute intervals for the first 72 hours you experience sciatic pain can reduce inflammation and swelling which can cause the sciatic nerve compression that often creates the pain you experience.
• Low-level heat therapy: After 72 hours of cold therapy, switch to low-level heat therapy, such as using a heating pack or heating pad, in 20-minute intervals.

2. Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is a fantastic way to exercise under direct supervision, targeting specific regions of your body that need a little extra TLC, and preventing further injury.

3. Exercise and Stretching

If possible, don’t stop moving when sciatica gives you trouble. Going for regular, short, gentle walks can help your sciatica. As noted, “Those who are sedentary and do not exercise often are more likely to have sciatica than those who are physically active and regularly get the recommended amount of exercise.”

Instead, engage in low-impact exercise and be sure to stretch. Avoid high-impact exercise like running and aerobics, hamstring stretches, and certain core-strengthening exercises.

Here are ten stretches recommended by the Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital that are great in addition to P/T:

1. Reclining pigeon pose
2. Sitting pigeon pose
3. Forward pigeon pose
4. Knee to the opposite shoulder
5. Sitting spinal stretch
6. Standing hamstring stretch
7. Basic seated stretch
8. Standing piriformis stretch
9. Groin muscle stretch
10. Scissor stretch

4. Lifestyle Changes for Sciatica Relief

Regular exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle if you suffer from sciatic nerve-related pain. So too is practicing good posture. Looking for info on how to relieve sciatica pain fast? Because sciatic nerve pain is often caused by compression, changing how you stand, sit, and walk can have a hugely beneficial impact on your pain and other sciatica symptoms.

5. Weight Management

If you are overweight, losing some weight is often a beneficial long-term solution for reducing sciatica-related pain. The plus side, here? Regular exercise, which is generally good for reducing sciatica symptoms, also helps with weight loss! And a healthy diet may contribute to a reduction of sciatica symptoms, too.

6. Acupuncture

Like losing weight, seeing an experienced acupuncturist regularly isn’t an immediate remedy for sciatic pain. But when used in combination with lifestyle changes, proper posture, and physical therapy, acupuncture can work wonders.

7. Massage

Looking for information on how to help sciatica pain quickly? Massage therapy offers myriad benefits, including more immediate pain relief as well as long-term stress reduction, and the release of endorphins, which may alter your pain tolerance or perception of any outstanding pain.

Tried It All? See If You’re A Candidate for Surgery

We recommend back surgery after conservative measured have been tried, and failed. Still, there are cases where surgery may be the best option. 

If you’ve tried every sciatica-pain-relief method under the sun, and you’re still experiencing intolerable pain, then maybe it’s time to contact us to discuss your treatment options, up to and including surgery.