Sitting down with sciatica pain can be a daunting task. You may feel like you can’t do anything because of the pain. However, there are ways to sit with sciatica pain that will help make it more manageable. In this article, we will discuss how to sit with Sciatica pain and still get things done!
What Is Sciatica?
What is Sciatica, to be more specific? Sciatica is a sign, not a disease. It is pain caused by irritation or pressure on the sciatic nerves, which are the longest nerves in the body. They start in the lower back and go down the buttocks and legs. Since they are close to so many moving parts, they are more likely to have back and pelvic problems.
Sciatic nerve pain can be caused by several different signs and things. These underlying conditions may include spinal stenosis, degenerating discs, misalignment of the lumbar spine, and tightness in the piriformis muscle, which sits under your glutes.
Depending on the person, pain can show up in different ways and at different levels, from being occasional and annoying to being constant and crippling. Some typical traits are:
- Pain that doesn’t go away in one buttock or one leg
- Pain can sometimes travel down the leg and into the foot and toes.
- Tingling or weakness in the leg, foot, and toe
- Sitting down can make it worse, as can sneezing and coughing.
- Leg burning, tingling, or searing sensation
- Pain that is sharp and may make it hard to stand or walk
Having bad posture, being inactive for long periods (like sitting at a desk), being stiff, being overweight, and having constant stress can all contribute to or make the problem worse. Degeneration of the bones and joints can also be caused by getting older.
Why Does Sitting Cause Back Pain?
In theory, sitting down should be a great way to ease the pain. Since you are not moving, you are at rest. Our bodies are made to move, so sitting for a long time can put stress on your back, hips, and tailbone.
In an interview at the University of Utah, sports medicine doctor Dr. David Petron said, “The most common cause of sciatica and lower back pain is sitting for long periods.” We were not made to sit for long periods.
Sitting puts pressure on your disks, which can lead to lower back pain and sciatica. If you sit in a bad way, it puts more stress on your back discs than almost any other activity, even running. When these discs get squished, they put pressure on the spinal nerves, which can be painful. Sitting also puts pressure on the sciatic nerve, which starts in your buttock and runs down your leg. If you’ve ever had sharp pains in your leg after sitting, it could be because of the discs and nerves in your lower back.
How To Sit For Relief From Sciatic Nerve Pain
Even though sitting for long periods is usually bad, it is necessary for treating sciatica and for general health. Most experts agree that a few common ways to sit can help relieve sciatic nerve pain.
- Use a chair that fits your body in terms of height and position. A soft seat cushion and lumbar support can also help turn a regular chair into a cozy place for the buttocks to relax.
- Instead of twisting your back to turn your whole body, use the pivot on your chair.
- Get up and move around every 15 to 30 minutes.
- Instead of sitting near the front of your chair, sit up straight and back. This will support your back and buttocks.
- Put the soles of both feet on the floor, not just the toes. Try not to lean to one side or cross your legs.
- Keep the angle between your knees and hips level or slightly up. Depending on how big you are, you may need a footrest to lift your feet off the ground. Curiously, general posture guidelines that have nothing to do with sciatica often say that knees should be slightly lower than hips. If having knees that are higher than hips hurts more, try lowering your knees. Because everyone has a different body, it’s important to find out what works best for you.
Other Ways To Alleviate Sciatica Pain
Many people with sciatica find relief by doing simple things on their own. See a doctor first, because it could be a sign of something more serious. To find the best physical treatments, like exercises, stretches, or therapies, you need to know what’s causing the problem.
Think about the following choices:
- Maintain an active lifestyle. John Sarno’s research, which has helped thousands of people with chronic pain, shows that it is important to stay active and do things you enjoy, instead of becoming sedentary or bedridden out of fear.
- One of Dr. Sarno’s main ideas was that most pain is at least partly caused by emotions. This is because when we are stressed, our nervous systems limit the flow of blood and oxygen to different parts of the body. Taking a few quiet moments to breathe and focus on the part of your body that hurts can help you figure out what emotional problems are trying to get your attention.
- Stretching: Sciatica pain can be eased with gentle yoga stretches. Again, knowing what is causing your sciatic nerve pain can help you decide which poses to do first.
- Massage: Not only can a good massage relieve physical tension around the sciatic nerve, but it can also increase blood flow, and calm and make you happy with hormones like dopamine and serotonin, and pain-relieving endorphins.
- When misaligned bones and joints are fixed, sciatica symptoms go away right away. When bones and joints are out of place, they can cause or make sciatica symptoms worse. Also, chiropractors can suggest specific exercises for your posture and changes to your way of life that will help your health in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Sciatica pain can be debilitating and frustrating. Sitting for long periods only makes the pain worse. However, there are a few things you can do to help ease the pain and make sitting more comfortable. We’ve outlined a few of these tips.
