Sciatica & Back Pain Q&A

Do you have a question about back exercise, back health, sciatica or back pain that you want to ask?

Just follow the Q&A link to leave your question and we'll respond back quickly.

The Better Back System

The Better Back System helps you understand how your back works - it explains things simply and clearly. Learn about your treatment options and also what you might encounter in the medical system.

Follow this system and you'll know how to avoid expensive and possibly needless treatments for your sciatica & back pain.

Best of all it gives you simple, step by step instructions and videos for a range of exercises to help you stop your sciatica and back pain.

Find out about the Better Back System.





* * IMPORTANT * *

Before you undertake any of the practices or exercises described in this site, make sure you read the disclaimer.



Causes of Back Pain & Siatica

Where Does Siatica Come From?

Most acute back pain and siatica (correctly spelt as sciatica) is the result of:

  • a trauma i.e. an injury to your lower back, or
  • a longer-term disorder such as arthritis.

The injury and pain from your sciatica may be caused by a variety of routine activities such as:

  • a sports injury,
  • work around the house, or in the garden,
  • a sudden jolt such as a car accident or fall, or
  • other stresses on your spinal bones and surrounding tissues, especially repetitive, stressful movements.

(nb. sciatica is the correct spelling of course, but you will see it spelled siatica from time to time.)

Siatica symptoms

These may range from:

  • muscle ache to shooting or stabbing back pain,
  • limited flexibility and range of motion, and/or
  • an inability to stand straight.

Chronic back pain is usually defined as pain that persists for more than 3 months. It is often progressive and the cause can be difficult to determine.

What Is The Recommended Treatment?

Most siatica and low back pain can be treated without surgery. The goal of treatment is to reduce and stop the pain, restore proper function and strength to your back so as to prevent recurrence of the injury.

Medications are often used to treat acute and chronic low back pain. Effective pain relief may involve a combination of prescription drugs and over-the-counter remedies.

You may also want to consider visiting a specialist such as a chiropractor, an osteopath, or a physiotherapist. See the menu option on the left for information on chiropractors.

Some people find the the use of cold and hot compresses helps reduce pain and inflammation and allows greater mobility.

Generally, ice applied to an injury site immediately after its occurrence stimulates blood flow to the area and helps to reduce pain and inflammation.

We recommend the Better Back System  as a way to stop your back pain and help you to loosen and strengthen your surrounding joints and supporting muscles.

Rest or Exercise?

These days bed rest is usually recommended for only 1–2 days at most. Your goal is to resume activities as soon as possible.

You can help prevent repeat injuries by engaging in regular exercise that doesn’t jolt or strain your back and helps you maintain correct posture.

Always take care to lift objects properly: bend your knees, keep the object close to you and your back straight.

In the most serious cases, when a condition does not respond to other therapies, surgery may relieve pain caused by back problems or serious musculoskeletal injuries.

Siatica Prevention

Regular, preventative exercise may be the most effective way to speed recovery and reduce or stop back pain. In particular, exercises that help you strengthen your “core stability” muscles and the abdominal muscles that both help to support and protect your back will pay dividends.

This why we recommend the Better Back System because it helps you loosen and strengthen the joints and supporting muscles that help your back stay injury free.

What Can I Expect In The Future?

Most patients with siatica and back pain recover without residual functional loss, IF they eliminate the cause of the problem. Recurring back pain often results from improper body mechanics (posture, lifting etc), or other non-traumatic causes. Said another way, you can usually prevent this type of siatica if you stop doing whatever it is that aggravates your back.

Many work-related injuries are caused or aggravated by stressors such as heavy lifting, vibration, repetitive motion, and awkward posture.

Applying ergonomic principles — designing furniture and tools to protect the body from injury — at home and in the workplace can greatly reduce the risk of back injury and help maintain a healthy back.

Warning:
Note: If there is not a noticeable reduction in your pain and inflammation after 72 hours of self-care contact your doctor.

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