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If you suffer from sciatica, pain in your lower back, legs, or buttocks can disrupt your life, and even your holiday celebrations. Use these five tips to manage your sciatica during the holiday season.
Do you have sciatica? This type of discomfort originates from a pinched nerve in your spine. The sciatic nerve runs from your lower back into your buttocks and legs on each side, and that’s where you’re likely to feel sciatica pain.
Often, sciatica flare-ups come and go. You may have weeks when you don’t notice any symptoms at all. Then, a flare-up happens, and you get sidelined due to your discomfort.
Dr. Beejal Y. Amin offers treatments and therapies for sciatica at his locations in Hinsdale and Woodridge, Illinois. The root cause of your sciatica may be in your spine, but you can manage your sciatica symptoms. If a sciatica flare-up throws you off guard during the holidays, for example, use these pro tips to find relief.
Tip #1: Find ways to move and be active
Sciatica can flare up when you’ve been spending a lot of time sitting or lying down. The muscles that support your body relax and loosen, leaving your nerves vulnerable to pinching and irritation.
That’s why, when you’re suffering from sciatica symptoms, it’s not a good idea to opt for bed rest. Instead, find ways to move and stay active that don’t put you in too much pain.
During the holidays, that means finding a happy medium. Go for a gentle walk, or rest your feet after you do the washing up. Modifying activities, but continuing to participate, is best for your body – and your holiday spirit!
Tip #2: Stretch it out
No matter where you are or what festivities you have planned, you can always take a moment for a stretch break if sciatica pain starts to come back. Some specific stretches that work well for sciatica flare-ups include the yoga pose “cat-cow,” or even reaching down to touch your toes and stretch your leg and back muscles.
Tip #3: Use heat or cold therapy
Heat helps your muscles relax and can relieve sciatica pain. Cold therapy also helps with inflammation and pain relief. You can apply a heat or cold pack, or even take a hot bath, if possible. While soaking for a long time provides relief, don’t apply cold therapy for too long at a time; you only need 15-20 minutes per application.
Tip #4: Take over-the-counter pain medications
Over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen can help a lot with unexpected, inconvenient sciatica pain. Pay attention to safe dosage instructions, and take care when consuming alcohol along with pain medication, or you risk complications.
Tip #5: Try topical pain relief solutions
In addition to oral pain medication, you may want to try topical pain solutions if your sciatica flares up during holiday activities. Topical medications for pain relief are available, and many find creams or lotions that contain a pain signal interrupter, such as menthol, to be beneficial, as well.
If your sciatica flare-up doesn’t respond to these pain relief remedies or lasts for more than a few weeks, make an appointment with Dr. Amin as soon as possible for additional evaluation and treatment. To schedule an appointment, contact us online or by phone.