Sciatica

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SCIATICA

If you have sciatica pain, it hurts to stand. It hurts to sit. You can't even lift a half-gallon of milk without hot needles of pain shooting down your leg. And you're wondering what started it all. Sciatica pain actually starts in your spine.

Stretch it, cinch it, ice it

Take a shower, then stretch

If a muscle strain, muscle spasm or other lower-back injury is responsible for sciatica, head for the shower.

Try a gel pack

To help reduce pain and inflammation, applying a cold gel pack every few hours to whatever area hurts-your back, buttock or leg, for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Gel packs are available at drugstores.

Make a natural cushion

Buy a waist-cinching elastic back support from your local drugstore or medical supply house. The cincher pushes in your abdomen, which makes an internal cushion of air that soothes and protects nerves around your spine.

Stretch every 30 minutes

Movement encourages circulation and can reduce the inflammation associated with some damaged areas like disks.

Take a walk every hour

Taking a three-to-five minute walk every hour will also speed healing.