Recurrent Sciatica: Helpful Lifestyle Changes and Treatment Options

Your sciatic nerve is the largest in your body. It starts at your lower back, goes through your buttocks, down your leg, and ends at your knee. The sciatic nerve is a group of nerves, with two running down each leg and multiple smaller nerves branching off at the knee. 

If your sciatic nerve becomes pinched, inflamed, or irritated in any way, it can set off nerve pain called sciatica. While sciatica typically goes away on its own, some people struggle with chronic sciatica, meaning the pain continually comes back or worsens over time. 

Constant sciatica can be frustrating and affect your quality of life. So, pain management specialist Don Enty, MD, and the rest of our team at Genesis Pain and Regenerative Medicine in Colleyville, Texas, want to offer some methods to relieve your sciatica. 

This month’s blog reviews some lifestyle changes you can make to manage the condition and explore our treatments. 

How lifestyle changes can help with sciatica

To treat current sciatica or to keep your sciatica from returning, we recommend implementing these healthy life habits:

Move your body

Any type of exercise helps prevent or manage sciatica. You can do aerobics, strength training, yoga, or any type of exercise that you know you’ll do regularly. 

Make sure you also move around regularly — especially if you have a job requiring you to sit for long periods — since sitting for too long can irritate your spine and worsen sciatica. 

Strengthen your core

Finding ways to strengthen your core, which includes your abdominal muscles, back, pelvis, and sides, can offer stability to your spine. The stronger your core, the better your spinal health will be. 

Manage your weight

Being obese or overweight can increase your risk of sciatica. It also boosts the likelihood of dealing with sciatica long term since all the extra weight puts undue stress and pressure on your spine, increasing inflammation and nerve pain.

Losing even a small amount of weight can offer relief from sciatica.

How we can help treat sciatica

If you find that none of these options are helpful, these are a few of the treatments we offer to manage your chronic sciatica:

Conservative methods

These treatments include taking over-the-counter pain medications, applying ice and heat, performing stretches or going to physical therapy, and trying anticonvulsant medications. We can recommend stretches and medications if you’re unsure where to start.

Injections

Different types of injections can offer more effective and long-term pain relief, especially if your sciatica is chronic. These injections include corticosteroids, nerve blocks, and epidural steroid injections. Dr. Enty can discuss these options and help you decide which might work best for you. 

To learn more about our pain management services for sciatica, schedule an appointment by calling our office or using our online booking feature today.