One horrible pain that a lot of people suffer from is sciatica pain. You have a sciatic nerve that branches out from the lower portion of your back and goes down your hips and each leg. When your sciatic nerve is pinched or otherwise irritated, it can cause you to suffer a severe amount of pain that can hurt you in your lower back, in your buttocks, in your upper legs and even down to your lower legs. You will generally only feel sciatic pain in one side at a time, which is one good thing, since the pain can be extremely intense. This article will help educate you on what can cause sciatic pain and some of the things you can do to get relief from that pain.

Things that can irritate your sciatic nerve

Sometimes you can end up suffering with sciatic pain, which is referred to as 'sciatica' and the reason for the pain just can't be determined. However, other times the pain can be triggered by something such as pinching the nerve, a bone spur, a bulging disc, narrowing in your spine or even by having encroachment on the nerve that is caused by a back injury or degenerative disc disease.

Things you can do to get some instant relief from the pain

If you are suddenly struck with sciatica you want to get plenty of rest and lay on ice for 20 minutes at a time at least a few times a day while you hurt. You also want to take an over the counter anti-inflammatory to bring down some of that inflammation and to decrease the level of pain that you are feeling. You can also do stretches where you lie on your back and slowly pull your knee up into your chest with your hands behind your knee. Hold the position for a few seconds and then release. You can also do another stretch where you pull your knee to your chest in the same manner, but then put your ankle over your other knee which should be lifted toward you as well.

Things you can do to put an end to your sciatica

Many times, doing the tips listed above for a few days can help you to get past your sciatica. However, there can be other times when you find that it is stubborn, and the pain lingers. If you are dealing with this, then you can get in to see the chiropractor for help. A chiropractor will manipulate your back and spine in a way that can take some of the stress of the nerve or even cause it to become un-pinched if that is the problem.

Contact a clinic, like Gerleman Chiropractic Office, for more help.