How Long Does Suboxone Treatment Actually Take?
Ready to overcome your dependence on opioids? Learn how Suboxone® therapy works in the treatment of opioid use disorder and how long you can expect to take the medication on your path to recovery.
Why Sitting Can Make Sciatica Worse
According to the American Medical Association, roughly 40% of Americans will develop sciatica in their lifetime. For some, the chronic shock-like pain that sciatica causes can limit mobility and interfere with their independence, especially when treatment is delayed.
New Tampa Interventional Pain & Sports Medicine offers customized care for sciatica, including in-office diagnostic testing and personalized treatment plans.
Our dedicated pain management specialist, Jose De La Torre, MD, and his team focus on exercises, nutrition, and other holistic solutions to ease sciatica pain. Dr. De La Torre also offers nonsurgical treatments, such as steroid injections and nerve blocks, to restore your mobility and vitality.
Additionally, our team can recommend helpful lifestyle strategies to keep your back healthy and prevent sciatica-related complications.
An overview of sciatica
Sciatica refers to pain and other symptoms that result from pressure on the sciatic nerve, which is the large nerve running from the lower spine down into the hips, buttocks, and legs.
Pressure on the sciatic nerve can stem from inflammation caused by injuries or overexertion. Sciatica can also be triggered by medical issues like obesity and bone spurs or a herniated disc in the lumbar (lower) spine.
Symptoms of sciatica can range from occasional and mild to chronic and debilitating, depending on the source of nerve pressure. In the early stages of the condition, you may experience electric shock sensations in the lower back with certain movements.
As the condition progresses, the shocking pain can worsen and radiate into your buttocks, hips, and legs. You might also have muscle weakness, numbness, or tingling sensations in these areas. Severe sciatica can also cause a loss of bladder or bowel control.
The link between sitting and sciatica pain
Extended periods of sitting can be a root cause of inflammation in the lower spine that triggers the start of sciatica symptoms. This is especially true if you aren’t mindful of your posture and tend to lean forward or slouch when sitting.
Sitting for too long without a break and poor posture put significant stress on the lower spine and can irritate the sciatic nerve. Prolonged sitting might also reduce blood flow to the area, worsening inflammation and pain.
Additionally, a sedentary lifestyle can play a role in muscle imbalances in the lower back that further inflame the sciatic nerve. Over time, weak muscles and irritated nerves can exacerbate sciatica symptoms and interfere with your ability to exercise and be active.
Taking a step toward better back health
One of the most beneficial things you can do to ward off sciatica-related back pain is to move as often as possible. Daily stretching exercises are a great way to promote blood circulation in your lower extremities and keep your lower spine flexible.
If you must sit for extended periods because of work or health issues, our expert medical team can recommend specific exercises you can do safely from a seated position to support the sciatic nerve. It’s also imperative that you take frequent breaks from sitting when possible to minimize risk factors for nerve inflammation.
You can also use the following strategies to protect your sciatic nerve:
- Invest in a chair with lumbar support
- Practice good posture
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Quit smoking
- Eat a well-balanced diet
- Wear supportive shoes
If sciatica symptoms are interfering with your quality of life and ability to stay active, don’t put off a diagnostic evaluation with our pain management team. With early diagnosis, you can begin nonsurgical treatments to reduce sciatic nerve inflammation and lower your risk factors for permanent nerve damage.
Call New Tampa Interventional Pain & Sports Medicine in Wesley Chapel, Florida, today to schedule a diagnostic evaluation of sciatica symptoms. You can also book an appointment online.
You Might Also Enjoy...
5 Migraine-Triggering Foods to Avoid
Eliminating certain foods from your diet might be an effective way to stop a migraine before it starts. In this month’s post, we explore the connection between specific foods and migraine pain.
Why Herniated Disc Pain Feels Worse When You Sit
On average, roughly three million Americans are diagnosed with a herniated disc each year. Learn how a herniated disc develops and why it hurts so much when you’re either sitting or lying down.
Do Muscle and Nerve Pain Feel Different?
Pain is how your body alerts you that something is wrong, but it isn’t always easy to identify the source of pain. Learn more about the similarities and differences between nerve and muscle pain.
4 Types of Neck Pain That Respond Well to Injections
When chronic neck pain interferes with your day-to-day life and pain medicines are no longer working, it may be time to try steroid injections. Learn how injection therapy works and which conditions respond best to this minimally invasive treatment.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) and Its Role in Pain Relief
When you’re limited by chronic pain and inflammation but want to curb your use of medications, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy may be the ideal next step. Learn how PRP helps you heal from the inside out to ease pain and other symptoms.