Sciatic Nerve pain can be excruciatingly painful. In my experience, Sciatica feels like a dull rod being jabbed into my leg behind the bones in my thigh and calf. A lot of people suffer from varying degrees of Sciatic Nerve pain. Smoking and pressure on the nerve are two of the reasons for irritation in the nerve. I’ve had a problem with my Sciatic Nerve from time to time and it helped me understand what was wrong and how to fix it. I’m not a doctor but I’ll share 7 ways you can stop Sciatic nerve pain in your buttocks and legs.
- Finding ways to take pressure off the sciatic nerve is one of the main things you can do to end the irritation of Sciatica. For example, break up long drives with frequent stops to stretch your legs by taking walks in rest areas.
- Sitting too long can cause the nerve to get sore and irritated so get up and go for a walk after an hour or so of sitting.
- Leg stretches are another way to ease pain in your legs. To stretch your legs, stand with your legs shoulder width apart. Slowly bend forward at the waist. Bend as far as you can but be careful not to hurt your back. Try to hold in place until you feel the muscles in your legs slowly stretch out. This usually happens after about 18 seconds when I do it.
- Take your wallet out of your hip pocket. Wallets or just about anything else in your back pocket can put pressure on the Sciatic so empty your pockets.
- Stop smoking if your Sciatic nerve is irritated. Doctors have linked smoking to lower back and leg pain.
- Lose some weight. Extra weight can put more pressure on your nerve and irritate it.
- See a doctor as soon as possible. Be sure Sciatica is the reason you have pain in your legs. Our bodies are amazingly complicated and even doctors have problems figuring them out sometime. Sciatica can be debilitating but see your doctor and make sure you don’t have a more serious medical condition.
Sciatica can be terribly painful but sometimes it can be treated. But the best scenario is to do the things in this article to try to prevent it before you ever have a problem with it. That’s especially mportant if you’re overweight, smoke, or sedentary.
Featured image courtesy of Marin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
