Coping With Sciatica in the Workplace

Sciatica can be a literal pain in the butt—especially when you find yourself sitting for long periods, like at work or school. This nerve pain can actually be debilitating if you choose not to deal with it. While there is no cure for this ailment, there are plenty of ways to ease the pain and live a normal life.

What Is Sciatica?

Simply put, sciatica is the term used in reference to radiating pain along the sciatic nerve, either from compression or general irritation. This nerve is located in your lower back and spans across your hips, buttocks, and down your legs. There are several reasons sciatica may occur, from bone spurs and herniated disks to spinal stenosis narrowing and physically demanding occupations.

Sciatica typically only causes pain on one side of the affected person’s body. If the condition is severe enough, surgery may be a helpful option. More commonly, however, exercise and self-care can help to Sciatica Exercises associated with this affliction.

18 Min Sciatica Exercises for Leg Pain Relief – Sciatica Relief & Treatment for Sciatic Nerve Pain

Since you are reading this article, you probably have some inkling as to how sciatica negatively impacts your life. Whether it’s pain, uncomfortable numbness, or any other sciatica symptom, you need help. While you can limit the amount of physical strain on your sciatic nerve by avoiding certain activities in your personal life, work is unavoidable. Whether you work in a factory or in an office building, you deserve to be comfort

Remaining Professional While Coping with the Pain

Work can be quite a struggle when you have nerve pain. Luckily, there are plenty of methods out there that can effectively help ease the symptoms and allow you to put your best foot forward.

Today, we will cover ways to reduce inflammation, pain numbness, and relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve. Ultimately, this will allow you to stay productive and successful within the workplace.

Exercise Regularly

Nobody wants to be told to exercise, but hear me out before you scroll on. Now, we are not talking about running a mile every day—unless of course, you want to. Things like daily yoga, Pilates, and frequent walks are a good idea not only for staying in shape but for preventing sciatic pain.

Because sciatica pain is caused by pressure on a nerve in your back, anything to strengthen your back or core can be a big help. When your muscles grow stronger, they’re able to take some of the load off your sciatic nerve. So as much as exercising can be a pain, it might be just what you need to get rid of sciatic pain in the workplace.

Sleep Comfortably

More often than not, sciatica tends to flare up when at least one of your five sciatic nerve roots becomes compressed due to pressure on the sciatic nerve. The best thing you can do to prevent this is to adopt healthy sleeping habits. By sleeping with a pillow between your legs and aligning the spine, you can alleviate said pressure.

A good mattress doesn’t hurt, either, but obviously not everyone can run out and buy a new one. If having a pillow between your knees doesn’t help, try sleeping with your knees elevated. It can feel a little strange at first, but it really does help straighten the spine.

Practice Good Posture

If you have sciatic nerve pain, routinely focusing on your posture is essential. If your job has you routinely sitting for long periods, this is especially true. For instance, if you work at a desk, do your best to sit up straight to keep pressure off your sciatic nerve. Also, be mindful of your feet. Wherever you’re sitting, your knees should never be higher than your hips, or you risk misaligning your spine.

Lift Smart

Sometimes, there’s just no way around heavy lifting at work. If you find yourself facing the necessity for heavy lifting, take it easy on your back. Grab the item you’re going to lift, but be sure to keep your back straight and bend at your knees. Then, instead of bending your back to lift, gently pull up by straightening out your knees. This will keep the weight off your sciatic nerve and will go a long way in getting rid of your workplace back pain.

Prioritize Your Health

Whether you’re working your dream job or just bringing in a paycheck, you probably want to do your best. Still, it’s important that you put your health first. When you’re coping with sciatica performing at your best becomes a challenge. However, with a little know-how and self-care, you can succeed at work and keep sciatica pain at bay.

When does work trigger your sciatic back pain?

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