3 Reasons Why Sciatica Doesn’t Go Away

I sometimes hear people complain that their sciatica won’t go away despite the fact that they have done “everything” to get rid of it. Why is this? Are some people cursed to live in pain for the rest of their lives? I personally don’t think so. There is usually a much more common problem behind it all. Here are a few of the common reasons why that sciatica just won’t go away no matter what you do. Inflammation - Not many people realize this, but inflammation can actually cause many cases of sciatica or back pain. But inflammation isn’t just something that results from injury. Inflammation can actually be caused by the foods you eat. Foods that cause inflammation are high is saturated fats, trans fats, and have a high glycemic index. Most of these foods aren’t good for your health any way, so getting rid of your inflammation may be a good opportunity to start eating right and improving other aspects of your health too. Foods that reduce inflammation have omega 3 acids, vitamin D, and antioxidants. Again, these foods generally fall under the “foods you know you should be eating” category here, so these will help your overall health too. Masking the Pain - Sometimes people will simply take painkillers to relieve the pain they are experiencing. There is nothing wrong with this. Sometimes it is necessary to dial down the intensity of the pain just so you can get through the day. The problem comes from thinking that just because you took a pill to take away the pain, that the problem is solved. In reality, whatever caused the sciatica pain is very much still there. In fact it could be getting worse. Remember, pain is there to tell you that there is a problem. If you use painkillers as a “solution” to sciatica, your problem will continue to grow worse and you’ll need to keep taking more and more painkillers to block out the ever-increasing pain. Don’t hide from your sciatica with pain pills, address the problem head on before it becomes something truly serious. Not Sticking with the Program - Another thing that people who continue to suffer from sciatica seem to do is that they give up doing the stretching exercises that their doctor gave them, or they decide that some other treatment plan is too difficult for them to keep up with. I understand that everyone is busy these days. Between work, running errands, and spending time with your family, it is hard to really find the time to sit down and do those stretches, get on that inversion table, or what ever you know you should be doing. But let’s be real here. You know that there is not “magic pill” to get rid of the problem. The only way to find the time to do what you need to do is to make the time to do those exercises and stop putting them off.