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Are There Any Best Sitting Or Lying Postures For Sciatica Pain?
Question: My sciatica has returned and I can't find a way to ease the pain when I sit or sleep. The stretches do help, but only momentarily. Is there a best sitting or lying position?
I have no reports available at this moment. I do see a pain specialist for chronic pain of back in general.
How long does it take to get an answer?
I have no reports available at this moment. I do see a pain specialist for chronic pain of back in general.
How long does it take to get an answer?
Brief Answer:
Consider sleeping on your side with these instructions.
Detailed Answer:
I am sorry you are having so much trouble, and I know sciatica can be very painful.
Regarding sleep positions, there aren't any hard and fast rules and no controlled studies about what is best. But it is generally recommended to sleep on a mattress that provides good support. Firm is better than soft when sciatica is acting up.
So for a supported sleep position (on a firm mattress):
1. Lie on which ever side is more comfortable.
2. Support your head with enough pillows so that your head is in line with your spine.
3. Bend your top knee toward your hips.
4. Support your bent knee with pillows.
Regarding sitting:
Any sitting puts a lot of pressure on the back. Sitting or driving in a car can make it worse, so take frequent breaks, at least every 30 minutes if possible.
Don't lift heavy objects immediately after having been sitting for awhile as everything will be tighter then.
A good chair for sciatica should either be straight backed or have low back support.
Use a foot stool to make the knees a little higher than the hips.
Use a rolled towel or little pillow behind your low back when sitting or driving.
In the car, move the seat forward so that you are not stretching your low back to lean forward.
Some people get some relief from alternative therapies. I have moderate scoliosis and am prone to uneven muscle tightening and nerve symptoms. I have personally found acupuncture to be helpful at times. There is an increasing body of research that supports this. But not everyone finds relief or is comfortable with acupuncture.
Regarding how long it takes to answer questions on this site - questions generally get answered within a few hours although I have seen some more difficult questions stay on the log of questions unanswered for a day. If a patient asks a follow up question, I believe the physician who had been answering has 24 hours to respond.
I hope this information is helpful to you.
Consider sleeping on your side with these instructions.
Detailed Answer:
I am sorry you are having so much trouble, and I know sciatica can be very painful.
Regarding sleep positions, there aren't any hard and fast rules and no controlled studies about what is best. But it is generally recommended to sleep on a mattress that provides good support. Firm is better than soft when sciatica is acting up.
So for a supported sleep position (on a firm mattress):
1. Lie on which ever side is more comfortable.
2. Support your head with enough pillows so that your head is in line with your spine.
3. Bend your top knee toward your hips.
4. Support your bent knee with pillows.
Regarding sitting:
Any sitting puts a lot of pressure on the back. Sitting or driving in a car can make it worse, so take frequent breaks, at least every 30 minutes if possible.
Don't lift heavy objects immediately after having been sitting for awhile as everything will be tighter then.
A good chair for sciatica should either be straight backed or have low back support.
Use a foot stool to make the knees a little higher than the hips.
Use a rolled towel or little pillow behind your low back when sitting or driving.
In the car, move the seat forward so that you are not stretching your low back to lean forward.
Some people get some relief from alternative therapies. I have moderate scoliosis and am prone to uneven muscle tightening and nerve symptoms. I have personally found acupuncture to be helpful at times. There is an increasing body of research that supports this. But not everyone finds relief or is comfortable with acupuncture.
Regarding how long it takes to answer questions on this site - questions generally get answered within a few hours although I have seen some more difficult questions stay on the log of questions unanswered for a day. If a patient asks a follow up question, I believe the physician who had been answering has 24 hours to respond.
I hope this information is helpful to you.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you! Much of what you suggested I think will be helpful. I already have the bed arrangement as you described. What is interfering with that right now is actually another problem. I will ask you about that:
I have had a few weeks of rhinitis from my allergy to mold. My family doctor prescribed a number of things including: Musinex D, Flonase spray and, early on and antibiotic. I felt much better and then had what I thought was relapse. At present I have had so much fluid running down my throat that there are 2 red streaks and my lower throat and tonsils are too. Many things have dried me out completely including fans and air conditioning, which is hard because I also do not perspire and overheat very quickly. It's been a balancing act. 2 nights ago, in desperation to get some sleep I tried Benedryl. It was awful. I fell asleep for maybe 3 hours and awoke from a nightmare, feeling like everything was on fire from the back of my throat down. I started lubricating with warm fluids which helped very much, but it is a constant need for moisture. I also cough easily with this, but it is dry and irritating. Last night it happened in a similar way, maybe a little less severe but I didn't take any Benedryl. I also stopped the Musinex D and added Apple Cider Vinegar gargles and sipping a tsp. of it in warm water. That feels the best, but again, it gives very temporary relief.
I would like to know if I may be on the right track with what I am doing or what else you might suggest. Also is there anything else I can do to help myself without medications. I take a good number of them, tramadol and savella for pain, synthroid and cytomel for hypothyroid condition, Xyzel for overall allergies, Toprol for SVT and Creon for digestion because there is a benign cyst interfering with pancreatic juices. I also take Frova PRN for occasional migraine headaches. I know I am giving more extensive details then previously, but I wanted to keep my first question simple to find out whether it was worth going further.
Lastly, if I am on the right track with the rhinitis, how long will it take to improve? The sciatic condition on top of all of this has been almost overwhelming because of the constant pain on top of all this.
Thank you
I accidently unsubscribed, but I did not mean to do that! Please reinstate my account
XXXXXXX
I have had a few weeks of rhinitis from my allergy to mold. My family doctor prescribed a number of things including: Musinex D, Flonase spray and, early on and antibiotic. I felt much better and then had what I thought was relapse. At present I have had so much fluid running down my throat that there are 2 red streaks and my lower throat and tonsils are too. Many things have dried me out completely including fans and air conditioning, which is hard because I also do not perspire and overheat very quickly. It's been a balancing act. 2 nights ago, in desperation to get some sleep I tried Benedryl. It was awful. I fell asleep for maybe 3 hours and awoke from a nightmare, feeling like everything was on fire from the back of my throat down. I started lubricating with warm fluids which helped very much, but it is a constant need for moisture. I also cough easily with this, but it is dry and irritating. Last night it happened in a similar way, maybe a little less severe but I didn't take any Benedryl. I also stopped the Musinex D and added Apple Cider Vinegar gargles and sipping a tsp. of it in warm water. That feels the best, but again, it gives very temporary relief.
I would like to know if I may be on the right track with what I am doing or what else you might suggest. Also is there anything else I can do to help myself without medications. I take a good number of them, tramadol and savella for pain, synthroid and cytomel for hypothyroid condition, Xyzel for overall allergies, Toprol for SVT and Creon for digestion because there is a benign cyst interfering with pancreatic juices. I also take Frova PRN for occasional migraine headaches. I know I am giving more extensive details then previously, but I wanted to keep my first question simple to find out whether it was worth going further.
Lastly, if I am on the right track with the rhinitis, how long will it take to improve? The sciatic condition on top of all of this has been almost overwhelming because of the constant pain on top of all this.
Thank you
I accidently unsubscribed, but I did not mean to do that! Please reinstate my account
XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Here are some thoughts:
Detailed Answer:
So you were on Mucinex D, Flonase, and previously and antibiotic. And Xyzal (levocetirizine) - I am assuming you were sensitive to cetirizine (Zyrtec) and that is the reason for Xyzal?
Benadryl can be very drying and can cause paradoxical excitement in some people too (agitation instead of sedation).
If you tolerate Xyzal, can you go up on the dose? Sometimes when allergies are exacerbated, a higher dose of antihistamine can work where a standard dose was not controlling symptoms adequately.
Similarly, if you tolerate Flonase, doubling the dose may help to decrease the inflammation in your nasal passages which causes rhinitis.
The Mucinex D, which you discontinued, only works if you flood yourself with drinking water. It pulls water to thin the secretions. So I am not sure if it would be good to restart the Mucinex with lots and lots of water, or skip it as you are currently doing.
You didn't mention nettipot saline irrigations, so I'll add that here. Washing out your sinuses twice a day might be helpful in decreasing the load of mold allergen on your mucus membranes. If you sniff in the saline to start the irrigation, some will get in your throat too, which may be helpful. If you do try a nettipot, don't use it within an hour of the Flonase as it can wash the Flonase away or cause it to drip down your throat.
Another thing you can consider is Nasalcrom spray. This is over the counter and expensive, but can be very helpful. This medicine, cromolyn, stabilizes the Mast cell membranes so that histamine can't get out of the cells and cause allergic reactions. The problem with cromolyn and why it isn't recommended more often is that it is short acting and has to be used every few hours. But it can be very helpful for some. It is over the counter now because it is a very benign medication with few side effects (some mild nasal stinging initially).
Increasing your Vitamin C intake can be somewhat beneficial.
If possible, don't sleep with your bedroom window open if the mold you are suffering from is seasonal (in the air outside).
If you use an A/C unit and can open it up, clean it and spray the fins with 1/4 strength bleach solution to kill mold.
So that's what I would recommend. With the main things being:
Increase Flonase
Consider adding Nasalcrom
Talk with your dr. about increasing the Xyzal
I hope you feel better soon!
Also - you say that you accidentally unsubscribed. I am not sure how that works but if you find that you are still unsubscribed or blocked, contact Health Care Magic.
Here are some thoughts:
Detailed Answer:
So you were on Mucinex D, Flonase, and previously and antibiotic. And Xyzal (levocetirizine) - I am assuming you were sensitive to cetirizine (Zyrtec) and that is the reason for Xyzal?
Benadryl can be very drying and can cause paradoxical excitement in some people too (agitation instead of sedation).
If you tolerate Xyzal, can you go up on the dose? Sometimes when allergies are exacerbated, a higher dose of antihistamine can work where a standard dose was not controlling symptoms adequately.
Similarly, if you tolerate Flonase, doubling the dose may help to decrease the inflammation in your nasal passages which causes rhinitis.
The Mucinex D, which you discontinued, only works if you flood yourself with drinking water. It pulls water to thin the secretions. So I am not sure if it would be good to restart the Mucinex with lots and lots of water, or skip it as you are currently doing.
You didn't mention nettipot saline irrigations, so I'll add that here. Washing out your sinuses twice a day might be helpful in decreasing the load of mold allergen on your mucus membranes. If you sniff in the saline to start the irrigation, some will get in your throat too, which may be helpful. If you do try a nettipot, don't use it within an hour of the Flonase as it can wash the Flonase away or cause it to drip down your throat.
Another thing you can consider is Nasalcrom spray. This is over the counter and expensive, but can be very helpful. This medicine, cromolyn, stabilizes the Mast cell membranes so that histamine can't get out of the cells and cause allergic reactions. The problem with cromolyn and why it isn't recommended more often is that it is short acting and has to be used every few hours. But it can be very helpful for some. It is over the counter now because it is a very benign medication with few side effects (some mild nasal stinging initially).
Increasing your Vitamin C intake can be somewhat beneficial.
If possible, don't sleep with your bedroom window open if the mold you are suffering from is seasonal (in the air outside).
If you use an A/C unit and can open it up, clean it and spray the fins with 1/4 strength bleach solution to kill mold.
So that's what I would recommend. With the main things being:
Increase Flonase
Consider adding Nasalcrom
Talk with your dr. about increasing the Xyzal
I hope you feel better soon!
Also - you say that you accidentally unsubscribed. I am not sure how that works but if you find that you are still unsubscribed or blocked, contact Health Care Magic.
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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