Sciatica is an all too common condition that is categorized by damage or compression of the sciatica nerve, which is the longest nerve in your body. The nerve begins in your lower spine before branching down each of your legs, meaning there is a large area where the nerve can be irritated and cause symptoms.
If you are dealing with shooting discomfort or weakness in your legs, it’s certainly possible that you’re experiencing a sciatic nerve issue. Many people wonder if this discomfort will go away on its own or if they will need to connect with a spine specialist to overcome the issue. In today’s blog, we explain if sciatic nerve compression will go away on its own.
Sciatic Nerve Pain Treatment
When it comes to sciatic nerve pain, we’re hesitant to say that the issue will go away on its own. That said, oftentimes the problem can be treated without setting up an appointment with a physician. In most cases, you can resolve a sciatica nerve issue by pursuing proactive non-operative treatments on your own. So while the nerve issue won’t resolve if you just ignore it, you can oftentimes put an end to sciatic nerve pain by following a few simple conservative care steps.
So what are some of the best ways to manage mild or moderate sciatic nerve discomfort on your own? Some common recommendations include:
- Weight Loss – Weight loss can help to take some stress off your lower body, including areas where the sciatic nerve passes. Losing just a little bit of weight can really help to reduce or alleviate sciatic nerve discomfort.
- Posture Improvements – If you have poor posture, oftentimes your lower back is forced to handle more stress. Not only can this stress irritate the sciatic nerve, but poor posture can also lead to a narrowing of the openings in the lumbar spine through which the nerve passes as it exits the spinal complex. Having healthy seated and standing posture can provide major sciatic nerve compression relief.
- Anti-Inflammatory Medications – Anti-inflammatory medications can help to calm inflammation that is compressing the sciatic nerve, but because this is a passive treatment that won’t target the root cause of inflammation, it is best to pair anti-inflammatories with other treatments on this list.
- Physical Therapy – Physical therapy can be helpful for a number of reasons if you have sciatic nerve issues. PT can help to strengthen your core, which supports your spinal column and can make it easier to have ideal posture, and it can improve flexibility so that your lower body can move more easily without irritating your sciatic nerve.
- Ice/Heat – Some people find that they can control sciatic nerve symptoms by using ice packs or heat therapy. After exercise, you may find that ice is helpful to control swelling and inflammation, while a hot bath at the end of the day can calm discomfort and expand your comfortable range of motion.
Of course, if you’re finding that your sciatic nerve issues aren’t responding to these home-based remedies, or you just want to connect with a specialist who can provide you with an individualized treatment plan, give Dr. Jackman and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800. If more hands-on care is needed, he can talk to you about corticosteroid injections or even a minimally invasive decompression procedure. One way or another, we’re confident that Dr. Jackman can help you find relief. For more information, give our office a call today.
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