Your symptoms might lead you to believe otherwise, but a low-impact aerobic exerciselike walking is typically better for your sciatica than bed rest. Walking alleviates sciatic pain by stimulating the release of endorphins into your system and reducing the inflammation around your sciatic nerve roots.
- A typical exercise plan for walking entails keeping a brisk pace for 30 minutes 3 to 4 times a week.
- Make sure you walk with correct posture—stand upright and engage your abdominal and lower-back muscles.
- If needed, you can begin with 5 minute walks and slowly build up your endurance.
- If you’re sciatic pain is severe, water therapy—exercise in a warm pool—provides many of the same benefits but is gentler on the lower back.
3. Focus your mind
No matter how long you’ve dealt with sciatica, a variety of mental pain control techniques may help bring quick relief from your symptoms. If your brain doesn’t notice your symptoms because it’s distracted or focused on something else, your experience of the pain will not be as bad.
- Mental imagery, meditation, and other techniques can make a dent in your pain levels in as little as 10 minutes a day, or 30 minutes 3 times a week.
- At a bare minimum, it will benefit you to sit in a quiet room and practice 2 to 3 minutes of controlled breathing.
- You don’t have to rely entirely on this practice; however, if it reduces your need for pain medications even a little it can be worth your time.
4. Improve your posture
Sitting puts extra stress on your lower back and sciatic nerve. Learning how to sit with proper posture can prevent the compression of nerves around your spine, 5 of which bundle together to form the sciatic nerve in each of your legs.
- Sitting with your knees slightly elevated reduces the pressure on your spine. A simple trick is to elevate your feet by placing a book on the ground in front of your chair.
- Sitting straight up with your back and buttocks flush against your chair also reduces spinal pressure.
- You may want to purchase an ergonomic office chair, as they typically provide better support for the spine than a regular chair.
- The use of a standing desk for at least part of the day can also be beneficial.
- Even if you have perfect sitting posture, it is a good idea to keep your spine moving throughout the day by occasionally stretching and walking around.
We also add 4 easy massage tricks
1. Palm and Thumb Massage
- Place the palms of your hands on your lower back. Rub the pelvic area towards your spine and down towards your buttocks.
- Next, place your hands at your waist with your thumbs on the ropelike muscles near the spine. Wrap your fingers around your sides.
- Using your thumbs, apply a firm and steady pressure toward the spine on the outer edges of the ropey muscles, so that your thumbs are about four inches apart.
- Apply pressure without causing discomfort.
2. Tennis Ball Massage
- Using tennis balls is an easy way to apply acupressure to your lower back.
- Place the two tennis balls close together in a towel or sock. Place them on the floor.
- Sit down on the floor, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, place the balls behind you.
- Gradually recline your body until you are lying on your back on the floor, with the balls on the sore area of your back. Rest in this position if you can for one minute.
- When the back tension is relieved, move the balls to another area of your back.
- Slowly roll onto your side into a comfortable fetal position, using your arm under your head (as a pillow). Rest in this position for five minutes before getting up.
3. Knuckle Pressure
- Lie on your back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Make fists and carefully place them on the left and right side of your lower back.
- Position your fists so your palms are facing down and your knuckles are against your back.
- Your fists should be between the spine and your lower back muscles. Rest in this position if you can for one minute.
- Slowly roll onto your side into a comfortable fetal position, using your arm under your head (as a pillow). Rest in this position for five minutes before getting up.
4. Sciatica Stretches
Check out this video: