Do you know the one daily habit that may be making your sciatica pain worse?
Lately, we’ve had an increase of clients coming in for treatment with complaints of reoccurring sciatic pain.
And this week I wanted to share with you a conversation I had with one of our amazing clients, Mary, 49 from Carlsbad, CA.
Sciatica / Back Pain
Mary’s Story on Sciatica Pain…
“I was going about my usual Sunday. I went to the gym to perform my regular exercise routine and then went to the grocery store immediately after. I was feeling great and after unloading my groceries and putting away my laundry – all of a sudden I felt a twinge on the right side of my lower back. I immediately knew something wasn’t right.
I tried not to think too much about it and thought after a good night’s sleep it would just go away on its own. But that wasn’t the case…
I woke up in the morning not being able to get out of bed without my husband’s help. It was also extremely difficult to walk to the bathroom and even to put on my socks and shoes, (not without struggling for 20 minutes anyway!).
It’s been several weeks now and I just can’t seem to get rid of this annoying, burning, and excruciating type pain which starts in my butt and ran down the back of my leg every time I take a step or bend forward. I now have difficulty sitting for more than 10 minutes because the pain increases every time. Can you please help me?”
Has a similar thing happened to you?
Unfortunately, we hear this common story far too often from many of the clients we treat in the clinic. Just like Mary, many come in to see me in a great deal of pain wanting to know how the best sciatic pain treatment at home.
Here’s what happened…
When Mary came into the clinic for her discovery visit, we were able to find out that a combination of incorrect lifting movements in the gym and when lifting her heavy groceries and laundry basket at home, something in her back had had enough. And like most people who come in to see me with low-back pain, she brushed it off, hoping she’d wake up the next day as it never happened.
But the following day, her pain was still there.
It can sometimes be hard to see what you are doing wrong in your lifestyle because, well, it’s your lifestyle.
Your daily routine is so well known to you that it can become second nature to lift things off the ground incorrectly and what causes sciatic nerve pain.
Mary’s back was still bad, but she decided to do nothing for it a little longer as she thought just resting for a few more days, the pain would gradually go away.
But those days turned into weeks, and her back pain grew worse and worse – and the problem was, all of the sitting and resting she was doing to make it ‘better’, was adding pressure to her back causing a shooting pain to run down her leg, which meant very little to no walking, and even time off work…
…Also known as Sciatica.
Sciatica is when a disc at the base of your spine is put under too much pressure… and it irritates a nerve that runs down your leg – often causing numbness even pins and needles as well as pain.
Sciatica pain symptoms are often so excruciating it makes it almost impossible to get out of the house, drive to the shops and even sleep comfortably – and nearly always gets worse when you sit.
To put it simply – it’s a painful and life-limiting condition that can happen as a result of not getting your back pain seen to as soon as pain strikes.
Unfortunately, too many people who end up seeing their medical doctor, chiropractor, acupuncturist or massage therapist don’t get to the root of the problem and end up having surgery – which makes matters worse.
If you want to read the truth about sciatica surgery, read a past article I wrote that has helped thousands of people from around the world to avoid a very common life-altering mistake.
But there are things you CAN do, such as specific sciatic nerve exercises to help you get back to feeling healthy and on your feet again without worrying that your back is going to put you out.
3 Helpful Tips For Sciatic Nerve Pain Relief
- Avoid sitting for any longer than is absolutely necessary
- As an exercise – stand up, put your hands on your bum and lean back –hold for 10 seconds. It will be painful, but you’re helping it the long run
- When the pain is bad – go to bed and lie flat– avoid the temptation to curl up in the fetal position… this only makes it worse in the long run even though it feels nice at the time
So, there you have it…
Some quick and easy tips with a specific exercise you can begin today to help ease your sciatica pain, which in turn, can help stop annoying, daily, irritating sciatica pain without having to jump into surgery first. In addition, it can also help reduce how painful it feels and how much it gets in the way of day to day life.
How long should I wait before getting help?
If you or somebody you know has been struggling with any type of sciatica pain for more than 10 days, it’s very likely you’ll run into the same problems Mary encountered.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help!
If you’d like to know more and want tips for easing your sciatica pain, here’s a free guide with 9 top tips to keep active with less sciatica pain.
If you’d like to learn more quick tips like this to help ease back pain, visit my website where you can download my free tips guide instantly: https://www.level4pt.com/back-pain/
Learn how physical therapy can help your back pain by clicking the link: Learn More About Back Pain and then click on the button for the free guide.
I hope this article is able to help you make a better decision for your health and if you think a friend or family member would benefit from reading this (or needs to read it), feel free to share it with them.
Enjoy!
Dedicated to Restoring Your Health,
Dr. Oscar 🙂
San Diego’s Leading Sciatica and Back Pain Specialist in Encinitas.
760-503-4440
P.S. Please leave your comments, questions and/or concerns below… we love to hear about your experience(s)/story with sciatica and back pain.
For more than 16 years, thousands of athletes, fitness enthusiasts and active people of all ages, levels and sports including Olympic medalists, professional, collegiate and recreational athletes have consulted Oscar; looking for answers to concerning questions about a fast end to their pain and best ways to improving performance.
Prior to living in Carlsbad, CA, he worked as Clinic Director for a 20,000 sq.ft. sports physical therapy and performance center. He became known as the “athlete whisperer” in the Pacific Northwest by becoming the leading sports performance enhancement physical therapist and CrossFit injury rehab and performance specialist. He also was known as a consultant to the Nike WHQ in Portland, OR.
Oscar’s passion for excelling in sports earned him the opportunity to compete in soccer both at the Division 1 collegiate level at the University of San Francisco and at the professional level playing for the California Jaguars; giving him the understanding and experience of knowing what it takes to perform and excel at the highest level of competition. Oscar is an orthopedic and sports performance specialist with a true passion for helping athletes and fitness fanatics of all ages and divisions, serving as an educator to bridge the gap between rehab and strength and conditioning.
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