Zoomer Feature: Taking The Sting Out Of Sciatica

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The Sciatic Nerve

You actually have two sciatic nerves – there’s one on each side of the body that runs through each hip and buttocks. The nerve travels down the leg to the knee before branching out into smaller nerves that connect to the feet and toes. 

What is Sciatica?

 “Sciatica can be a real pain in the butt. The condition develops when there’s irritation or pressure on the sciatic nerve, or the nerve roots in our spine that come together to form the sciatic nerve,” says Ashley Cripps, a physiotherapist in Edmonton. “You might feel pain anywhere along the path of the nerve. It’s often sharp, shooting or electric-like, but can also manifest as a dull ache in certain areas like the calf or the heel. It can also be accompanied by numbness and tingling, or a sensation of weakness in the leg.” Some of the triggers that can cause pain include previous injuries, excess weight, poor posture, being sedentary, not having enough core strength and normal wear and tear with aging. There are also conditions – like degenerative disc disease or herniated discs – that can wreak havoc on the area.  

How to Prevent it

If you spend most of your day seated, make sure you have good lower back support (a rolled towel or pillow behind your back can help), armrests and a swivel base on your chair. Try to remember to stand up and move around – even if just for a minute or two – every 30 to 60 minutes. When you’re lifting heavy objects, lift with the legs – not with your back. Also, regular exercises that work your core can protect you from sciatica pain.  

How to Treat it

Use a heating pad on your back and hips to help relax tight muscles. Pain killers, muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatories can also help, but speak to your health-care provider or pharmacist before self-medicating. “Most cases of sciatica tend to resolve with conservative treatment, such as the symptom-management strategies above, as well as exercise and manual therapy or traction provided by a physical therapist,” Cripps says. 

Stretch it Out

Cripps recommends these two stretches to help keep the area loose and ease pain:

KNEE-TO-CHEST STRETCH

• Lay on your back on a comfortable surface. 

• Using your hands or a towel looped behind the back of your thigh, pull your affected leg up toward your chest. Your other leg can be straight or bent, whichever is more comfortable. 

• Hold for 30 seconds and repeat three times. You should feel a pull in the back of the hip but no irritation in the back or leg. This helps by flexing the spine, which can alleviate pressure on the nerve, and it stretches the glute muscles that pass over the nerve. 

WALL POSE

• Lay on your back on your bed, with your head away from the wall or headboard. 

• Slide your hips close to the wall or headboard and extend your legs up the wall. You can keep your knees slightly bent. 

• Rest in this position for two to five minutes and try it two to three times a day. This pose flexes the spine, takes pressure off the nerve and decompresses the joints in the back and pelvis. 

PRO TIP

“Listen to your body. Stretching for sciatica is not a ‘no pain, no gain’ endeavour. Avoid any exercise, activity or position that worsens your symptoms or causes numbness or tingling – that’s an indication that you’re applying additional pressure to the nerve,” says Cripps. 

Written by: Lisa van de Geyn of Zoomer

Featured Physiotherapist: Ashley Cripps, MScPT of Corona Station Physical Therapy