Why Sitting Makes Sciatica Worse

​The most common complaint I hear from my patients with Sciatica Pain is that they “cannot find a comfortable position”, especially when sitting.  Standing, walking and sleeping are often difficult for most people with sciatica too, but increased Sciatica Pain with sitting definitely tops the list.    

​Why does sitting make Sciatica worse? 

The most common cause of Sciatica Pain is from a bulging disc pressing on a nerve root in the lower back or from a tight piriformis muscle deep in the hip that presses directly on the sciatic nerve.  In fact, some people with Sciatica Pain may have both.

Sitting increases the pressure on your discs and puts more tension on the piriformis muscle causing more nerve irritation and inflammation.  Regardless of what’s causing the increased irritation of the nerve, the result is more pain running from your butt all the way down your leg, and for many people this also means more back pain. 

Not being able to find a comfortable position when sitting is a BIG problem for people with Sciatica Pain.  Why?  Because our daily lives involve A LOT of sitting. 

“I work at a computer all day and the pain can be unbearable by the end of the day.”
“I can’t even sit long enough to drive to the store anymore.”
“I’m so tired of this pain.  I just want to be able to sit down and have dinner with my family.”

Does any of this sound familiar?  If so, you are not alone.  I hear comments like this every day from my patients who have been dealing with Sciatica Pain.

The good news is there is HOPE! 

I have watched countless patients go from feeling discouraged and hopeless to seeing the joy in their faces when they tell me they how they made it through a workday without pain or enjoyed sitting down to dinner with their family for the first time in months. 

Here are a few tips to try that can help when you’re sitting.

• AVOID SITTING FOR TOO LONG.  Stand up and move around at least every 15-20 minutes, or even sooner if needed.  Standing puts less pressure on your spine compared to sitting.  Or if you’re more comfortable lying down, then lie down for a few minutes instead.  The point is to find ways to avoid constantly irritating the nerve and give it some time to heal.
• USE A BACK SUPPORT WHEN SITTING.  A small pillow or small towel rolled up is often all you need.  This helps protect the natural curve in your lower back and is a good way to take some pressure off your discs, nerve and piriformis muscle.
• DON’T SIT WITH YOUR LEGS OR ANKLES CROSSED.  This puts extra pressure on your spine, joints and muscles in your lower back, which certainly won’t help your Sciatica.
• DON’T SIT WITH YOUR LEGS OR KNEES SPREAD APART.  This shortens the piriformis muscle making it even tighter putting more pressure on your sciatic nerve and spine.

I hope you find these tips helpful, but keep in mind that most people with true Sciatica Pain will need more than just a few quick tips to overcome it.  When it comes to Sciatica we are dealing with a compressed and irritated nerve.  This is NOT the same as an injured muscle.  The longer you wait to get help for Sciatica the greater your risk of permanent nerve damage.

So please don’t wait any longer!

If you’ve already tried other things that haven’t worked or if you’re just not sure where to start…start by giving us a call at 503-744-0046 or CLICK HERE to request one of our FREE Discovery Visits. 

This will give you the opportunity to ask any questions you have and gives us the opportunity to learn more about your specific situation.  Once we know more about what’s been going on with you, we’ll be able to tell you how Physical Therapy can help.  And if we don’t think we’re the right place to help you we’ll let you know and will help guide to someone who can. 

Either way, you will be one step closer to getting rid of your Sciatica Pain and finally getting back to the activities you need, want and love to do.