How to Sit With Sciatica

How to Sit With Sciatica – 6 Tips That Will Offer Relief

Out of all the many types of back pains, sciatic nerve pain might just be the most painful. This type of pain radiates around your sciatic nerve which runs down both legs. The severe pain usually results from a herniated disc or bone spur that causes pressure in the spine and on its surrounding nerves.

Sciatica pain usually starts in your lower back and usually spreads down one of your legs. It can create a burning sensation in your back and down your leg and usually becomes a lot worse if you sit in a poor posture.

Learning how to sit with sciatica can help you reduce the symptoms of this condition and can dramatically reduce the amount of pain you feel when you sit down or get up.

How to Sit With Sciatica – 6 Tips That Will Offer Relief

Taking good care of your body is one of the best ways to treat and prevent sciatic nerve pain.

Ice packs, stretches for sciatica and physical therapies are great treatments for healing your body so you can overcome this nerve condition. But while you are healing, you should also learn how to sit right. Sitting in the right position will help relieve your excruciating pain and can prevent sciatic nerve pain in the future.  Here are some great sitting tips to relieve some pain.

Invest in a Good Quality Chair

Unless you had a physical injury after getting into an accident or after doing some sports, your sciatic pain is very likely caused by your cheap office chair. One of the best ways for people with sciatica to overcome and keep sciatic pain from returning is by investing in the best office chair for sciatica. These chairs come with a wide range of special features like enhanced lumbar support or adjustable lumbar support, adjustable armrests, adjustable height, a retractable footrest, and other features that might help you sit in a healthy posture position. The chairs offer a lot more back support and reduce the pressure on your spine so you can heal from and prevent back pain.

Invest in Additional Lumbar Support

The ergonomic chair you are sitting on might not offer adequate back support. You can test if your hair offers enough support by sitting with your hips pressed against the backrest of the chair. If there is a gap between your lower back and the chair then the chair isn’t offering enough support. 

A lumbar support cushion can give you the support you need without changing your chair. These portable cushions are also practical since you can use them on other types of chairs like corner chairs for bedrooms, living room chairs, recliners, or on your car seat when you go for a drive.

There are many types of lumbar support cushions available including memory foam lumbar cushions, massage lumbar cushions, heating lumbar cushions, mesh lumbar supports, and others which means you are very likely to find one that suits your chair and medical condition perfectly. 

If you don’t have access to a lumbar cushion right now, you can also position a foam roller or roller towel in the curve of your back before you lean back into the chair. 

Consider a Seat Cushion

An ergonomic office chair with a hard seat might force your body into all sorts of distorted positions while you struggle to find comfort. If your seat is too hard or thin then it might be wise to get a seat cushion. A cooling gel cushion will soften up the chair and keep you nice and cool on warm days while a contoured memory foam pillow might correct your body posture and reduce pressure on your tailbone. These cushions will also promote healthy blood circulation through your lower extremities and can help promote faster healing for sciatic nerve pain and conditions.

Sit in the Right Position

Proper posture is also very important for reducing nerve pain. The proper posture position is with your back string up and all the way back so the backrest can fully support your buttocks and lower back. Your knees should be at a 90-degree angle with both feet flat on the floor in front of your hair. 

How to Sit With Sciatica

To achieve this posture position in front of your desk, you may need an adjustable height chair so you can raise or lower it. Your elbows should be able to hover just a little bit above your office desk. If your chair is too high for you to press down with your feet then you might also need a footrest or foot pillow so you can sit properly.

A sciatica sufferer should also take care to sit straight without applying too much weight on one or the other side of your body. Both hips, knees, and shoulders should be properly aligned when you sit down. A contoured seat cushion can be a very helpful tool if you struggle to keep your body aligned. These cushions are specially designed to force your hips into the right position and they also alleviate tension on the spine and tail bone. 

Take Regular Breaks

It is not healthy to sit for long periods of time in general. Your back nerves can become very stiff if you sit for too long and will send shooting pains down your lower back and legs when you finally do move. To avoid the pain, you should take regular breaks from your chair. it is best to get up from time to time. Every 15 to 30 minutes is ideal but move about your office for a bit before sitting down again.

Sedentary lifestyle changes like investing in a sit-to-stand desk or an adjustable desk can offer lots of health benefits in general and can help you prevent permanent nerve damage. 

Lean your Chair Back

Your sciatic nerves might be pinched in a way that keeps you from sitting in an upright position. If you feel agony when sitting at a 90-degree angle then you should tilt your chair back. A 100-degree position can reduce a lot of pressure on your spinal cord. The reduced pressure and more comfortable sitting position can ease blood flow through your legs which can also prevent numb feelings or pins and needles.

If you have a tough time getting up out of your chair every 30 minutes or need to sit for a long period of time, then you can also use your chair’s recline function and tilt the chair back to a 135-degree angle and have a bit of a rest every now and then. A 135-degree angle is an ideal sitting position for those with lower back pain or sciatic nerve pain since this angle places your spine in a neutral position and releases tension in connected nerves and muscles.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to sit with sciatica is one of the best ways to treat and overcome these types of pain. But if you still can’t find good pain relief, if you keep feeling sharp pains, or if these tips make your sciatica worse then it might be time to book an appointment with a doctor or physiotherapist so you can get your spinal nerved checked out.  Medical attention or treatments like a lumbar brace might be needed to help you heal. You can also check out the other guides we have on ChairsWiki. On this site, you can shop for all sorts of chairs for your home. We have reviews on the best recliner after surgery, the best office chair for pregnancy, the most comfortable drafting chair, the best office chair under 500 dollars, and many more. With our handy guide, you will find a good chair to sit on no matter how bad your sciatic nerve condition might be. 

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