*Sciatica can make sitting, standing, and sleeping miserable, but most people recover without surgery. Three spine specialists told Time that relief depends on what is irritating the nerve.
“There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and there are treatment options,” said Dr. Keven Burns, an orthopedic spine surgeon at the Spine Institute of Arizona.
Sciatica describes a type of pain, not an underlying condition. It typically causes burning or shooting sensations that travel from the buttock down the leg. Pressure on a nerve root in the lower spine usually causes these symptoms.
Two conditions are often to blame. A herniated disc can press on a nerve, and that pain often fades within about six weeks. Spinal stenosis, a narrowing around the spinal nerves, is more common in older adults.
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“It bothers people at night, and it bothers people in the day. It can be very, very disruptive,” said Dr. Allen Chen of UCLA Health.
Some habits make the pain worse. Burns warned against stretching harder when the back of the thigh feels tight, because the tension may come from the nerve itself. “More stretching doesn’t necessarily mean more improvement,” he said. Chen advised against lifting and twisting at the same time.
Movement is usually the better choice. “Well, just don’t stop moving. Get up and walk. Take short walks,” Burns said.
The best exercises depend on the cause. Gentle backward bends may ease a herniated disc, while forward bends may help stenosis. Physical therapy, heat or cold, and massage can also provide relief. For stubborn pain, doctors may recommend anti-inflammatory medication, a steroid injection, or surgery if other treatments fail.
“What surgery does offer is the ability to get better quicker,” said Dr. Wellington Hsu, a spine surgeon at Northwestern Medicine.
Certain changes in nerve function require emergency care. If you suddenly have trouble starting or stopping urination, cannot urinate at all, or lose control of your bladder or bowels, go to the emergency room right away. The same applies if you develop numbness in the genital area, groin, or around the anus.
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