Imagine the pain of a sharp razor blade slicing open your lower back, through your buttocks and down the back of your leg. Then again, if you suffer from sciatica, you may not need to imagine it at all.
Sciatica is not an actual condition, but describes a very real set of back and leg pain symptoms. Fortunately you can almost always reduce or completely stop sciatic pain right at home without harmful drugs or surgery.
What causes sciatica pain
The sciatic nerve is the largest single nerve in the human body. It is also the thickest at over 3/4 of an inch across. It supplies nearly the whole skin of the leg, the back thigh muscles, and other muscles down to the feet. This length is why shooting pain down one or both legs is felt when the nerve is irritated.
Sciatica symptoms are caused by one of four conditions: a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, isthmic spondylolisthesis, or most commonly piriformis syndrome where the piriformis muscle places pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Get sciatica relief right at home
In each of the four common conditions causing sciatica, muscle imbalances either directly cause or contribute to the condition behind your pain. For sciatica relief, you can follow a simple three step process in the privacy of your own home.
First, identify the cause. This involves understanding the dysfunctions present in your body and the muscle imbalances which created them. These can be identified through a series of self assessments.
Second, treat the pain symptoms. Clearly you won’t be able to correct the problem if your pain is so severe that you can’t move.
Finally, begin working on the underlying dysfunctions and muscle imbalances which caused the condition leading to sciatica. Relief that lasts requires correcting the problem, not just covering up the symptoms.
Learn more about getting at home sciatica relief including a video which shows a quick stretch you can use to stop sciatica pain from piriformis syndrome in seconds plus complete details behind the causes and treatments for sciatica.
Hi, I have my 3rd vert going out and the 4th going in.Therefore now is bone on bone.Xrays have shown this.I am progressively getting worse with this,and the pain and discomfort is very debilitating.
I would presume that I have the “spondy” problem.Right now I am tempted to have fusion surgery,or whatever? Such is the pain.But willing to try anything
to achieve some form of QOL again.
Rgds,
Wayne
I wouldn’t suggest fusion surgery. Not that i would know from a personal experience, but i have watched my father go through it with his back and he is in just as much (if not more) pain than before the surgery.
I don’t know what the answer is to a pain free back, this is why i am online researching myself, but i am fairly certain that surgery isn’t the answer.
I also suffer with recurring back issues and the last year has been sciatica pain for me. So i know how desperate you can get when wishing for relief, but seriously Wayne, i do not and would not recommend anyone opt for fusion surgery.
Wayne,
Seven years ago my L3/L4 disk blew and I had my first surgery. A year later a second in the same spot was required. The progression of deterioration over the next six years had my pain level nearly constant at max drugs per day and the “cutters” were saying fusion from L2 thru the SI was the only option…and oh yes the lower T’s would soon go as well.
At age 70 I already have limited future days and spending a year or more doing post op with NO ASSURANCE that there would be any pain relief was really no option. If, for some reason, the programs offered from this site are too slow or maybe just a bit doubtful then give yourself another professional option.
Find a chiropractor who is licensed to employ the DSX9000 back and neck decompression system. Get a few “pulls” as well as NON-cracking adjustments to begin to reset the spinal alignment.
It’s controlled and disciplined. It may well work for you. It worked for me with enough “disk space” regained so that I could get some shots to hasten the inflamation reduction. Now I’m looking to find some tools and techniques to do the maintenance at home, that hopefully this sit can offer.
Sincerely,
John
My misery started 4 1/2 years ago and I’ll try to make a long story short. I have screaming, scalding, white hot pain from my waist to the tip of my toes (left side). And, if that’s not enough,, the same thing is accuring in the left neck, arm, and shoulder. Then there’s the T-11/12. I’ve tried everything. Chiropractic, accupuncture, accupressure, physical theropy(4 times, 4 different theropists). I’ve had 1 open back surgery(L 4/5) and 6(yes 6)mini type proceedures,, all to no avail. The pain just raves on and gets worse and worse. I’ve done enough piriformis stretches to pull my leg off. However, having said all this,, when you’re in this kind of pain,, you’ll try anything. So, if there’s something in this sit that I CAN try,, I’LL TRY. I empathise and sympathise with all y’all who are in pain out there cause, God knows that I know what you’re going through.
Zonnie
After seeing a lady friend in her late 70s who had been an active walker, herniate three discs in her low back, then totally recover in a couple of months using inversion therapy, I’m a believer.
It works best when the back is too damaged to do the other stretches or therapies.
i have been following plenty of website in this field but your article is something new to me. wonderful, and thanks!
I had a dissectomy done on L4andL5 Left leg is still weak
My problem is an extra half floating vertebra in my lower back that the sciatica nerve gets wrapped around according to a back doctor. Also, according to X-Rays my left leg, which I am currently having pain with, is 1/4 inch too much too short. I have been having Sciatica Pain since 1988. My doctor said these issues sometimes run in very short people,,I am 4’10”. I take meds. and go to a Chiropractor when the pain gets severe.
I just grin and bare it and live through it. I don’t even want to think about surgery @ 63! My mobility is limited at times because of this combination. I have had Sciatic episodes with both legs at one time or the other.
I was born with severe spinaA bifida occulta I have 6 malformed vertebra allowing the sciatic to be pinched directly to bone. I wouldn’t know what relief is because, to be frank I’ve lived with it since birth. I have flare ups starting every day at 3 but am in uncomfortable pain waking up every day. I can’t have surgery because of being a hemophiliac plus because of the scoliosis the would want to put rods in. It would be more invasive of a surgery than risking my life is worth.
Oh and I’m a 23 year old mother of a 2 year old.
Please understand that even with all of your underlying conditions you can still work to improve the function and stability of your spine, the first step we suggest is that you educate your self on your options and to do that we have written a new book called The 7 Day Back Pain Cure, you can click on this link to order the book
https://losethebackpain.com/products/7-day-back-pain-cure-book
Steve