If you’ve ever felt that tug of pain from the very inside of your hip, down the back of your legs and into your knees, you’ve likely experienced sciatic nerve pain. This is one of those pains that doesn’t seem to be able to be reached, and while there are positions that you can get yourself into to stretch the muscle and alleviate some of the pain, it’s not always possible for those of limited mobility. It’s important to understand how you can relieve the symptoms of sciatic pain, though, because otherwise you could find yourself in excruciating pain and not know how to deal with it.
Sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, which branches from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each leg. Typically, sciatica affects only one side of your body. sciatica most commonly occurs when a herniated disk, bone spur on the spine or narrowing of the spine compresses part of the nerve. This causes inflammation, pain and often some numbness in the affected leg.
Although the pain associated with sciatica can be severe, most cases resolve with non-operative treatments in a few weeks. People who have severe sciatica that’s associated with significant leg weakness or bowel or bladder changes might be candidates for surgery.