Back Pain: The Real Problem With Sciatica And What To Do About It

Back Pain: The Real Problem With Sciatica And What To Do About It

This last couple of weeks we have a lot of clients coming into the clinic suffering from back pain.  But not just any type of back pain – the most severe of all “sciatica”.

There’s only one word to describe the pain that people suffer at the hands of sciatica and that’s “horrendous”!

In case you’re not familiar with what it is – you’d recognise it by having a severe pain running right down the back of your leg and into your toes.

Common Cause of Sciatica

And it’s often made much worse when you sit.

And there’s the real, true, underlying cause of most people’s trouble: sitting.

How much of it have you been doing lately?

The problem is the more sitting down you do the more pressure you put on your back and so onto your sciatic nerve.  Eventually, a disc at the bottom of your back will give up and the fluid inside it touches the nerve which runs down your leg – AKA sciatica.

Symptoms of Sciatica

It can cause pins and needles in your foot, numbness, and a cold sensation as well as the pain – and unfortunately, it’s often so painful that nothing in the way of medication – Morphine included, can ease it.

Despite what many GP’s may say there are things that can be done other than rest and painkillers while hoping for it to go.

How To End Sciatica Pain

Physio can help. It often makes it worse before it gets better – but it does get better. Specific exercises are needed too. Again, they are painful at first, but if you persist, the pain begins to drop.

Limiting the amount of time you spend sitting can help too. And there’s something to note – we see a lot of people in the clinic with back pain and they claim that “sitting doesn’t make it worse” – but what they’re doing is sitting in a modified or slouched position that means they’re just avoiding the pain – making the whole thing last longer and often leaving the person with an awkward looking posture long after the back trouble has gone.

Sciatica is a painful and life limiting condition. But, unless you’re in the small 5% of people who nothing can be done other than surgery, there ARE things you can do.  What we believe should be understood about sciatica – and something that should be communicated a lot more by health professionals trying to help people suffering – is that often when you’re trying to make sciatica better in the long run, an increase in pain in the short run is normal. Not nice. But par for the course!

And in the end, will result in a much more speedy return to better health than sitting and praying for time, popping more and more painkillers!

If you are in pain right now, and want more than just advise, arrange a FREE taster consultation where you can speak to one of our Physios and see if we can help you with your pain and get you on the road to recovery!

Call us on 033017 59838 and speak to our team to arrange an assessment

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