Surprising Ways You May Worsen Your Sciatica

The sciatic nerve is one of the largest nerves in your body and is about 2 cm wide. The nerve travels from your lower back to the hips, buttocks, and legs. The sciatic nerve assists the skin and muscles in the legs and feet in moving and helps you feel sensations in your legs. Sciatica Houston is pain that radiates along this nerve. Your sciatic nerve may be compressed or pinched due to a herniated spinal disc. Also, an overgrowth of bone on the spine, tumors, and health problems like diabetes can strain or damage your sciatic nerve.

Often, there is a high chance you will fully recover from sciatica without requiring specialist treatment. Mild or moderate sciatica may last a few weeks.

Still, the condition can severely damage your nerves if it worsens with time, leading to loss of leg sensations, weakness of your lower limbs, and bladder or bowel incontinence. Therefore, you should seek treatment immediately and follow the correct tips for preventing or limiting the condition from worsening. Consequently, below are surprising ways you may aggravate your condition without knowing.

Wearing high-heeled shoes

If you have pain emanating from the affected sciatic nerve and often wear high heels, you will realize that discomfort increases. That occurs because high-heeled shoes notoriously alter your natural, balanced weight distribution by placing more strain or pressure on the front of the foot. As a consequence, there is forward positioning of your hips.

Walking or standing for an extended period exerts unnecessary pressure on the forward-leaning pelvic girdle, leading to the stretching out of the hamstring muscles. Because the sciatic nerve extends to your hamstrings, it can get damaged.

Stuffing things in the back pockets

Carrying an item that is heavy, like a wallet or phone, can trigger your sciatica without your knowledge. A weighty back pocket may cause a slight tilting of your pelvic girdle to a particular side as you have to sit at an angle, especially when inside a car and driving.

Avoid sitting down with your back pocket full of items that can exert unhealthy pressure on your lower back and force irritation of the sciatic nerve.

Overly tight clothing

If you often wear tight trousers, skirts, or shorts, you may trigger sciatic nerve pain and discomfort. Clothing that is incredibly tight and fitting strains your spinal cord, lower back, pelvic girdle, buttocks, and legs.

Prolonged sitting

Regular sitting for an extended period can cause or worsen your sciatica. When you sit, you expose the sciatic nerve and the muscles running across your lower back into your legs to excessive pressure.

If your job involves lengthy sitting, find time to move around, stretch your leg and back, and take short walks. That allows the release of the pressure affecting your sciatic nerve and promotes blood transportation in the lower back and legs.

Sedentary lifestyle

An inactive or sedentary lifestyle involves sitting or lying down most of the time with less or no exercise. Without being physically active, you risk obesity. The unhealthy weight exerts extra pressure on your lower back and the sciatic nerve.

Contact Body Balance Chiropractic & Wellness Center today for treatment of your sciatica.