Will Sciatica pain go away on its own?

I had some back issues a couple years ago and my doctor said it was a mild case of sciatica. Since it was such a mild case he gave me a list of stretches and a prescription to Ibuprofen and it was gone in about one week. Recently I decided I'd lift a bed on my own - needless to say the sciatica symptoms are back. The only difference this time is the pain is much worse and it's been about four days with only slight improvements. Will this go away on it's own if I do the stretches my doctor had previously recommended - or should I just go see my doctor again because there are more thorough and invasive treatments?

As a practicing chiropractic physician we see many cases of sciatic pain. There are a number of causes. The sciatic nerves originate in your lower back and radiate out throught the buttox area and down the legs. They are the largest nerves in your body (as big as your thumb).The pain of sciatica can stay in the buttox, travel to the knee or all the way to the foot. The causes are multiple ranging from impingement to disease factors. A simple muscle strain may cause sciatic pain. This type has a potential to go away in time. If the nerve is pinched the pain will persist and force professional advise and evaluation. If your pain is all the way down to your knee or foot you should seek professional advice. Any pain lasting more than 2 weeks should be checked by a professional....... Dr. Gary D

Sciatica will often go away on its own. The exercises are a great place to start, as well as OTC ibuprofen.

If more than a week or two goes by without any improvement, then I would see your doctor, especially if the pain is impeding your daily life. It's really a matter of your tolerance for the pain, how it's affecting you individually, and your activities.

And I don't recommend lifting any more beds. :-)

Good luck! I'm dealing with sciatica from a herniated disk right now, too, so I feel your pain.