Lifestyle Changes to Avoid Sciatica Pain in Vacaville

If you have sciatica pain in Vacaville, it could make even the slightest movements difficult and it could interfere with your quality of life. The good news is that chiropractors can offer treatments like spinal decompression to help relieve yourself of sciatic pain. Apart from these treatments, you should make changes to your lifestyle.

Changes to your lifestyle in Vacaville

• Stay out of bed: When lower back pain strikes, you might feel tempted to stay in bed and hope for the discomfort to go away. However, you are instead doing yourself a disservice. Prolonged bed rest can weaken your back muscles and may even cause additional injuries. It is better for you to get up and monitor your movements when doing your usual activities.
• Do your exercises: Your back can benefit from good physical activity. A 30-minute walk on the outside or on a treadmill daily can take off the pressure from your sciatic nerve, while also making you physically fit. Another way of getting your heart up without hurting your back is by doing low-impact aerobics. You can also go biking or swimming to manage your stress and keep your muscles strong.
• Manage your weight: There is no doubt that physical exercise is a good way of relieving pressure off your sciatic nerve and strengthening your back muscles but above all, it can help you maintain a healthy weight. Having excess weight can have a serious impact on your sciatica since it can further increase the level of pain. Make sure to come up with an exercise plan and a good diet to effectively manage your weight and improve your overall health.
• Quit smoking: Smoking cigarettes can contribute to the deterioration of your spinal discs. Apart from that, it can cause episodes of coughing that lead to repeated back injuries. You can keep your spine in optimal condition if you quit smoking now. The most important benefit if you stop smoking is that it can bring many health benefits and it will even prolong your life.
• Take breaks: If your job requires you to sit or stand for a long time, make sure to get up and move around every hour. You can take short walks around or outside of your office to take the pressure off your nerves in your lower back. This physical activity may be brief, but it can benefit you a whole lot.
• Prepare your space: Before you sit or stand for a long time, be prepared to ease the load on your back beforehand. You can upgrade your office chair to a lumbar-supportive chair to provide a cushion to your sitting area. If you are standing for a long time, then investing in a high-quality pair of shoes will provide back support as well.
• Avoid heavy lifting: If you have chronic sciatic pain then any job that requires heavy lifting should be avoided. But if you must, make sure to use proper techniques when lifting. Use your legs for leverage instead of letting your back lift the heavy load. Also, don't be shy in asking someone for help if you need to.
• Be mindful of your posture: If you constantly slouch when walking or sitting, then it can put pressure on your lower back. This is the reason why you always need to pay attention to your posture. If you want, you can use a training brace to help you achieve a better posture.

As we mentioned before, these tips will be more effective if you accompany it with some proper treatment like spinal decompression. If you want to avail this treatment for your sciatica, just visit our clinic at Absolute Integrative Physical Medicine in Vacaville, CA. You can call us by dialing (707) 474-5688 and set up an appointment with us today!