been having sciatica and in terrible pain for the last 3 weeks, what are some minor stretching I can do to help relieve the pain

I have been dealing with sciatica for that last 10 years after fracturing a disc in my back... Had surgery is the worst decision I've ever made. Anytime I irritate my sciatica nerve root I develope the pain and it can be horrible..... First I tried steroid pills which has a strong anti-inflammatory to reduce the swelling and I had to resort to pain pills for awhile because it takes quite awhile for the swelling to resolve completely with no more pain... an old heart doc told me years ago that if we give our body time it will heal itself but with the pain we may need some help ie steroids, pain pills etc... hope this helps

Hello mckayre1,

Welcome to the EmpowHER community. If you are in that much pain, you must consult your physician.

Hello Anonymous,

Welcome to EmpowHER. I too suffer with sciatica and my physician told me walking is best.

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 (spinal stenosis) compresses part of the nerve. This causes inflammation, pain and often some numbness in the affected leg.

Stretching exercises for your low back can help you feel better and might help relieve nerve root compression. Avoid jerking, bouncing or twisting during the stretch, and try to hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds.

But, beyond that, I cannot offer any exercises or predict when you will finally get relief. I think your physician may order imaging studies, such as an MRI, to determine the exact cause of your sciatic pain.

Regards,
Maryann