Sciatica relief?

Does anyone know how to get relief from sciatica WITHOUT having to go to physical therapy? I had it when I was pregnant and had to go to PT twice a week for stretching and exercises... I am now having the same thing (not pregnant) and have been doing the stretches but no relief and I really don't have time to go to PT twice a week for relief.... any suggestions?

While the suggested exercises above are helpful in some cases, they are not helpful in all...in fact for the majority, some of the exercises described above may actually worsen your condition. Yet, one cannot make a blanket statement about which exercises to do without first understanding what happens to you when you move or position yourself certain ways. Treatment should always be specific to "you" ...there is no predetermined set of "sciatica exercises."

It is good you tried your previous exercises as it shows you are being proactive about the situation. We tell patients that statistically speaking, once you've had an episode of sciatica, it is likely to return sometime in the future. Nine times out of ten, the same exercises that helped them the first time will help them with any further reoccurances leading to a much more controlled situation. When the previous exercises don't help, that's usually when we request they return to see us.

Yet, for those with a good understanding of their body, we also recommend the following books: "How to treat your own back" by Robin McKenzie and "Rapidly reversible low back pain" by Steven May. They are both easy reads and help you understand the cause of sciatica and how you can utilize movments and/or positioning to relieve your pain. I would start with these books if you cannot make it in for formal treatment. Just be sure to read it carefully...not all the exercises will be appropriate for you...probably just one or two. They should never leave you feeling worse after you do them, if they do, it is probably the wrong one...but this is all outlined in the book..

Good luck

I have extreme Sciatica and I'm 6 1/2 months prego. They are wanting to send me to PT but like you i don't really have time for it. Though there are some nights that i would beg for it! The doctors told me to put heat on your lower back right above your crack, then remove the heat and add a cold compress, then go back and forth. Always end on cold that way it draws in the nerve and gets it away from your disks and other things that might irritate it. I'm sorry you are going through this. Good Luck and it's my prayer that you get relief soon!

There are lots of stretches you can do to help relieve the pain. If however, the pain does not diminish, see a doctor.

There are two exercises my doctor recommended.
1 - Lay flat on your back, on the floor, with your knees bent, and feet flat on the floor. In a slow controlled motion, keeping your knees together, move your knees to one side of your body as far as you can without pain, and hold for 5 seconds. Return back up, relax for a couple of seconds, then repeat on the other side. You will most likely hear your back cracking as you do this the first couple times. Don't overdue it! Do a set of 10, 5 on each side, then relax.

2 - Lay flat on your back, on the floor, with your knees bent, and feet flat on the floor. tighten up your abs, and press your back to the floor. Hold for 2 to 3 seconds, then relax. Repeat this for about 10 times, then relax.

I am currently going to physical therapy myself. My Sciatica has gotten pretty bad, and the pain is now shooting down my left leg. I did not follow my doctors advice originally, and now I am paying for it! As I mentioned before...if exercising and stretching does not relieve the pain, see a doctor. You don't want to aggravate or worsen the condition.

Both answers given are good advice. I too had sciatica for months - I finally got rid of it after 9 months. PT, pain meds (anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers) and stretching exercises all eventually helped. No lifting because sciatica often comes from a disc that is pushing on your spinal cord and irritating your sciatic nerve. What eventually helped the most was starting a walking program which help strengthen my back muscles, held my spine more erect and the pain started to go away. The others helped some but the walking seemed to help the most. Also, try to remember some of the exercises PT had you do last time and start doing them again. Good luck.

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'Sciatica' is a generic term to describe a sharp, shooting pain that often begins in the low back and travels down the leg. Unfortunately, there is no one magical treatment that will work for every person. My advice would be to make that appointment with a physical therapist and he/she will be able to develop an appropriate treatment plan for you. A good physical therapist will likely use a combination of manual techniques and specific exercises that will work best for you. Good luck.

I agree you should go to therapy for the problem and it may not be the same cause as it was initially. Nice job on trying the exercises that they gave you previously. But remember if the pain increases to hold off, "No pain, no gain" does not apply here. I also recommend that you try a pool. You can perform many exercises in the water and may enable your back to stretch out and relax the muscles. Remember that use of a pool will not reduce the discomfort permanently and getting some outside help from a therapist would be very beneficial.

I too am a PT and I have suffered with back pain. But with stretches/and strengthening exercises and use of a pool I am now feeling much, much better. I continue to do the exercises today to prevent recurrence.