What causes sciatica to flare up
You most likely have a go to program for managing your pain. Personally, I’d rather force myself to move in hopes of addressing the anxiety and getting blood to my tissues. In fact there appears to be a link between depression and pain a certain vicious cycle. The other factor is if I stay in bed, I am focusing mostly on my pain, or other problems, and this can lead to anxiety and depression, both of which have a negative impact on my well being.
And increased circulation to all my tissue means healthier body parts and therefore reduction in pain.
One factor is that I know that movement increases circulation. So why bother to get out of bed? Two factors help me to get up and get moving. But then I am also in pain in certain positions in bed as well. Trust me, as soon as I get out of bed and take a step, I am in pain. I know from my own pain journey that it is very tempting to want to stay in bed and not face the day when you know you will have pain. Therefore, we can safely conclude that not enough movement can affect our pain just as much as too much.Ī further word about not moving enough. This seems counter intuitive, but it is a factor in your feeling worse. For example, lying in bed all day, or planted in front of the television can cause flare-ups. Chances are also good that you have a good reason for overdoing too.Īnother cause can be not enough activity. Ask yourself, what was I doing the day before (or five hours before, or an hour before) my flare-up? Chances are you did more than usual. Probably the number one cause of pain flare-ups is over activity, or “over doing”. Lil圜antabile/Pixabay What Causes Flare-Ups? But this blog shows you some of your options, so I suggest you check it out. I haven’t used any of them yet, so I can’t comment how effective they are. You should be able to edit it if you want to make changes.Īlso, through my research, I found that there are apps to track your pain. I made a rough chart for you to use to get you started. When I work on my blog, I set a timer to alert me to stop and move for a bit. I also need to change my positions every ½ hour. For instance, my pain gets more intense (i.e., from a 2 to a 5) as the day goes on. I think it is worthwhile to keep a record of your pain so that you can begin to see patterns.
Are you in the most pain in the morning or evening? How does exercise affect your pain? Can you stand without pain? Or sit? How long can you engage in an activity before your pain gets to you?Īll those factors should be noted. What is the normal state of affairs for you? It is worthwhile noting how your “normal” pain is throughout the day. And last but not least, it usually takes more time to recover from a flare-up. This is where the pain can radiate to areas that usually aren’t affected. Or maybe our treatment is not effective at all! This also results in what is called the “Noisy Neighbor” symptom. Just what we need right? We are already in pain, and now it’s worse!Īs the pain is more intense, our medication or whatever we are doing to manage the pain isn’t as effective. In other words, you feel more pain than you usually feel. A flare-up is defined as a period where the pain intensifies. When a pain condition gets worse, it can be referred to as a flare-up. Why then, is it sometimes worse? What is A Flare-Up? Usually this is in only one side of the body. This results in pain in the buttock, back of the upper leg and calf. Whatever the cause, the pain starts in the spine and can travel down the leg. This presses on the nerve and causes pain. The offending issue may be herniated disc, or a piece of bone spur. Sciatica pain is caused by something pressing on the sciatic nerve, which originates in the spine and runs down the leg. First of all, if you have ever had sciatica pain, you know what it is! It is very painful and can be debilitating.