Part 5 in our sciatica series
If you’ve had sciatica, you may have noticed it flares at certain times, often when you least expect it. Understanding what makes it worse is a key step in managing your pain and preventing recurrences.
Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve is irritated or compressed. Anything that increases pressure on the nerve or causes inflammation can trigger or intensify symptoms. Usually that means avoiding sitting and standing for too long as they put your body weight on top of the inflammed nerve, but as always with sciatica, you have to remember that the work “sciatica” only describes the pain; it does not tell you the cause.
Despite this, there are a few general tricks for trying to keep yourself out of pain.
Common aggravating factors include:
- Prolonged sitting – especially on low or soft chairs
- Bending and twisting – particularly when lifting heavy objects
- Sudden, jerky movements – these may strain the lower back
- High-impact exercise – eg running or jumping
- Wearing unsupportive shoes – you might need more support temporarily
- Carrying weight unevenly – such as a heavy bag on one shoulder
- Coughing and sneezing.
Stress and fatigue can also make nerve pain feel worse by tightening muscles and reducing circulation. We appreciate though that when you’re in pain it’s hard to not feel stressed. This is another way professional help can be of benefit. A professional will not only help reduce the pain, they can also reassure you that the pain will go away and how to look after yourself while it’s bad.
5 Top Tips
- Avoid stretching – unless you’ve been given ‘flossing’ techniques to do at home you’ll probably find that stretches make the pain worse because you’re tugging on an inflammed nerve root.
- Watch out for housework — almost all household chores involve twisting and bending, which could make the pain worse. Changing bed linen for example can be disastrous for your pain.
- Find out which exercises are right for YOU — avoid relying on Dr Google.
- Ask a professional whether a TENS machine will help you — depending on the cause of your sciatica TENS might help with the pain.
- Sleeping can be hard — try sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees.
Our final tip is to get professional help. If you’ve read the other posts in our Sciatica series you’ll know that sciatica is a description of pain, it is not a diagnosis. That means you MUST find out the underlying cause to know how to get better.
Other useful tips
Stress and fatigue can also make nerve pain feel worse by tightening muscles and reducing circulation. We appreciate though that when you’re in pain it’s hard to not feel stressed. This is another way professional help can be of benefit. A professional will not only reduce your pain, they can also reassure you that the pain will go away, and how to look after yourself while it’s bad.
It’s important to remember that avoiding all movement can also prolong the problem. Your goal needs to be to identify and avoid activities that hurt, while staying gently active in ways that are safe. We’re not going to pretend that that’s easy, but please don’t stay still all day.
While you’re in the acute (early) stages of sciatica you might need help to pinpoint your triggers and a plan that balances rest, targeted exercise, and hands-on treatment to keep you moving, without irritating the nerve. By making small changes to how you sit, lift, and move, you can significantly reduce flare-ups.
And finally, most people do get better, so don’t panic!