Four Tips to Ease Your Sciatica Pain from a U of U Health Physical Therapist
Four Tips to Ease Your Sciatica Pain from a U of U Health Physical Therapist
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in your body. It runs from your lower spine down through your buttocks, thigh, and leg on both sides of your body. When this nerve becomes pinched or irritated, it can cause pain, numbness, or tingling in your lower back that radiates down your leg. This condition is very common; about 40% of Americans will experience it at some point, according to the American Medical Association.
Tasha Olsen, DPT, a physical therapist at University of Utah Health, shares tips on how you can manage your sciatica pain and prevent further flare-ups.
1. Work with a Physical Therapist
You don’t need to push through sciatica pain on your own. At the University Orthopaedic Center, physical therapists tailor treatment to your specific issue. They will determine the root cause of your pain and work to relieve pressure through targeted exercises.
One approach often used is based on the McKenzie Method, which focuses on repetitive movements—usually involving gentle backward bending—to relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve. This can help centralize the pain into the lower back and reduce the pain shooting down the leg.
“The McKenzie Method can help because it keeps the patient moving,” Olsen says. “One of the worst things you can do when you have back pain is to just lie around and wait for the pain to leave.”
2. Take Regular Movement Breaks
Sitting for long periods—especially at a desk—can make sciatica worse.
Olsen recommends that her patients set a timer every 45 to 60 minutes to:
- Change positions
- Get up and move around
- Perform seated exercises such as piriformis stretch, hamstring stretch, pelvic tilting, or back extensions
A regular exercise routine also helps reduce pain. Try low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming, or light stretching as recommended by your physical therapist.
3. Strengthen the Core and Hip Muscles
Having a strong core, hips, and glutes helps support your spine and lower back. A physical therapist can guide you through safe exercises like:
- Pelvic tilts: While on all fours, slowly move between arching and rounding your spine. Seated pelvic tilts involved sitting upright in a chair and gently tilting the pelvis forward and backward.
- Glute bridges: Lie on your back with your feet on the floor and knees bent upward. Gently lift your hips toward the ceiling while squeezing the glutes.
- Prone back press-ups: Lay on your stomach and use your arms to press your upper body up while keeping your hips and thighs on the floor. Gently allow the spine to arch backwards.
- Nerve flossing: There are several nerve flossing exercises, but they involve movements and stretches to help mobilize the sciatic nerve, which can help reduce irritation and pain.[NM1]
- Piriformis stretch: While lying down or sitting upright, cross one leg over the top of the other knee and gently pull your knee toward your chest to stretch the piriformis muscle, which is located in your buttocks.
“It is important to note that with sciatica, the pain will often get worse in the back but decrease in the legs,” Olsen says. “That’s often a sign that the exercises are working.”
4. Practice Good Posture
Sciatica is usually irritated by spinal flexion or bending forward. Sitting too much—especially with slouched posture—can make sciatica worse.
- If you sit for long periods of time, Olsen recommends an ergonomic workspace:
- Sit in a chair with back support with feet flat on the floor and knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Keep your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle when typing, with your forearms parallel to the floor.
- Position the keyboard and mouse so the wrists stay straight and elbows remain at a 90 -degree angle.
- Set the monitor at or just below eye level.
The Bottom Line
If sciatica pain is disrupting your daily life, you don’t have to put up with it or wait for it to improve on its own. A physical therapist at the University Orthopaedic Center can help identify the cause of your pain and guide you toward long-term relief.
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