Sciatica - The Best Position to Relieve Extreme Pain

Sciatica can be a very painful and debilitating condition which is a result of irritation upon the sciatic nerve. This irritation has several potential causes and the best position to relieve it will depend a great deal upon what is causing the pain in the first place.

First and foremost I would suggest that if your pain is that extreme and constant, you need to speak to a health professional. It is likely you will benefit from a short course of anti-inflammatories in order to help settle the pain.

However, getting back to what would be the best position, as I mentioned above, this is likely to depend upon what is causing your sciatica in the first place.

If it is a disc bulge/herniation/slipped disc etc. then lying on your stomach is likely to be the most comfortable position. If your pain is still very sensitive, I would suggest placing 1 or 2 pillows under your stomach to begin with. It would probably be best if you adopted this position for a few minutes every hour or so (if this is practical) or let's just say 'little & often' throughout the day.

If it is the facet joints of your lower back which are irritating the sciatic nerve however, then I would adopt a completely different approach. This time you will be wanting to 'flex' your back. An easy way to do this is to lay yourself on your back, with your knees slightly bent, maybe placing a pillow or two under your knees.

Sometimes, the pain can be too sensitive for either of the above positions. If this is the case, I have found side lying is usually best. However, make sure that while in this position, your bottom leg is straight and your top leg supported by one or two pillows (so that your top leg is roughly parallel with the bed/floor you are lying on). By adopting this position, you will be encouraging your back to maintain a neutral position and also be stopping your pelvis from dropping forwards and down, which can place increased stress across the sciatic nerve.

In summary, your diagnosis is key, therefore it is important to be able to find out why it is you are suffering with sciatica in the first place. Having said that, it is always important you listen to your body, therefore try out the above positions and which ever you find the most comforting, that's the one to stick with for a while.

Before I finish, it is important I stress that activity is vitally important as well. As your pain begins to settle, it is imperative you start to become more active. By this I mean generally active as in getting up and about, as well as providing yourself with a specific exercise programme in order to address the cause of your sciatica.