Sciatica pain is unmistakable as it can be felt from the lower back all the way down to the feet. While some cases of sciatica go away in just a few hours, others can last days or weeks. A couple of patients have experienced sciatica pain so severe that it never seems to disappear without medical intervention.
5 Tips for Coping with Sciatica
There are different levels of sciatica treatment in Los Angeles for patients depending on the severity of their symptoms. Additionally, there are plenty of at-home health tips that anyone can practice to help prevent this problem from flaring up in the future. Below are our top 5 tips for coping with sciatica that can help you manage your pain while you schedule a much-needed appointment with our specialist.
Pay Attention to Your Posture
Did your mother ever tell you to sit up straight at the dinner table? You might not realize it every time you slouch, but you might be contributing to poor spine health. Standing and sitting both require a decent posture that aligns your back in a straight and upright position. An easy way to stop yourself from slouching is to pull your shoulders back, which will automatically straighten you out.
Take Breaks from Sitting
It can be hard to avoid a 9–5 job that requires you to sit almost the entire day. But no matter your profession, you need to find some time throughout your busy schedule to get up and move around. Staying in your seat forever isn’t healthy for you or your back. If you are truly stuck to your computer screen for 8 hours a day, invest in a standing desk. That way, you can sit and stand as you please without having to take a break just to get in some exercise.
Relieve Pressure on Your Spine
There are many different parts of your body sitting on your spine all day, relying on it to carry your weight around. This can put a lot of strain on the most sensitive parts of your back, including the discs that make up your spinal cortex. Still, too much pressure or weight can herniate these discs, resulting in painful symptoms of sciatica and other types of back pain. Therefore, incorporate a daily regimen of good diet and exercise to relieve sciatica pain.
Find the Exercises that Work for You
Speaking of exercise, did you know that there are specific exercises you can do to strengthen your sciatica nerves and reduce your pain? While moving this part of your body might be painful, think of exercise as a natural form of physical therapy. The more you walk, swim, dance, and practice yoga, the more flexible your body will become. This can take a lot of stress off your sciatica nerve and make you feel a lot better as these daily exercises reduce inflammation and pain.
Improve Your Core Strength
Strengthening your core is a fantastic way to improve the health of your sciatica nerve. Your core includes parts of your abdominal muscles, back, and ribs. Still, a strong core can hold a lot of weight and take the strain off of other parts of the body that may be carrying too much – like your sciatica nerve. Your spine could certainly use the support, so strengthening it with a daily core routine will make it easier for your pain to go away.
Get Professional Sciatica Treatment ASAP
Sciatica pain can be mild or severe, with pain that comes in waves. If you are having a hard time getting rid of sciatica pain on your own, you could benefit from a personal consultation with our spinal surgeon for Los Angeles patients. You don’t have to live with increasing pain and debilitation; many forms of sciatica treatment are available for anyone dealing with this lower spine pain.