I know that sciatica can be a particularly painful condition to live with. This is what started me on my quest to overcome my own sciatica pain. I used to use one of those heat pads. Sure, it would feel good for a while, but…well… after I took it off the pain would quickly come back, sometimes even worse than before. However, what you should be doing is using ice instead followed by a few quick stretches to help you localize and centralize the pain to one specific location where you can really eliminate it effectively.
Sciatica, in case you don’t already know, is an either stabbing or dull pain that can shoot from your hips and butt all the way down to your toes and feet or anywhere in between. This happens because your sciatic nerve is getting crushed for one of many possible reasons.
Once I figured this out, it really changed the way I saw my problem. If it was caused by a pinched nerve, then the secret was then to discover what was causing the pinched nerve in the first place and take care of that problem. The sciatic nerve is literally the longest nerve you’ve got. It runs from your lower back down your leg, knee, and all the way to your toes, which explains why some people experience sciatica even in their feet.
Here are a few common things that often lead to a pinched sciatic nerve:
If you are not careful while lifting heavy boxes or objects, this can result in nerve damage and bring on sciatica.
Another common thing that causes sciatica is natural disc degeneration as we age. The discs in your back will become less flexible and the space between them will become smaller leaving less room for the nerves.
A tight Piriformis Muscle, which sits right on top of the sciatic nerve may crush or irritate your sciatic nerve and case a significant amount of pain.
Once you figure out exactly what your sciatic nerve is and the things that can actually cause sciatica, you’ll have a much better understanding of your condition and how to fix it. No one wants sciatica, and I’m sorry that you probably are experiencing it if you’re reading this, but after you understand the basics of what is causing it, you’ll be able to fix it much quicker.
If you found this article helpful, and you’d like to learn some effective stretches for sciatica, be sure to check out: Exercises Sciatic Nerve on the website: Sciatic Nerve Help.
