How To Sit On Couch With Sciatica?

Understanding how to sit on couch with sciatica is tough. Sciatica affects the sciatic nerves, and people with chronic back pain can develop it. When nerve endings become pinched or compressed sciatic pains occur. To get rid of the pain, you must understand: how to sit on couch with sciatica?

Make sure your legs are not crossed and keep the two feet flat on the ground. The chair should be kept as high as possible to extend your hip angle. Then, add a cushion to the couch so that the body mass is evenly distributed.

This article comprises ways to sit on a couch with sciatica and will tell you whether sitting on a couch helps sciatica or not? We’ll also discuss how to sit on a couch with sciatica and the quickest way to cure sciatica. Find more details below.

Article Summary:

Sciatica pains occur when the sciatic nerves become irritated or compressed. This pain affects the lower back and extends to the right or left leg. It usually results in severe aches and a great deal of discomfort.
Sciatica is not as terrible as it is perceived. Its symptoms can last for a maximum period of 6 weeks, and it is easy to cure. Sometimes symptoms might disappear without treatment.
An imaging test like electromyography, CT scan, MRI, and X-ray are all used to diagnose sciatic pains.
Having a good posture and not sitting for long hours can help prevent sciatic pains. Also, an exercise with some stretches can help prevent sciatic pains. That is why you cannot have sciatic pains by always walking around.
Sedentary life is one of the major causes of sciatic pains, as it requires one to sit down while doing so many chores.

Does Sitting On A Couch Help Sciatica?

Sitting on a couch for long hours is not advisable as it might increase sciatica pains. The pressure in such a position increases pressure at the sciatica nerve fiber as it goes down the gluteus muscle to the leg. If you can take walks, try walking for 10 to 15 minutes outdoor or use a treadmill indoors at a convenient speed.

Sciatica pain can come back by merely sitting down. It seems harmless, but sitting can cause excruciating pain and nerve pain. The truth is that we weren’t created to sit for long hours. While sitting for so long, a lot of pressure is put on your disk, bringing back pain and sciatica. Ruptured disks or slipped risk, nerve irritation, and inflammation can cause sciatica.

Suppose you have been diagnosed with sciatica; alternate between lying down, standing and sitting every 15 minutes. It doesn’t matter if you’re sitting on the couch. Once you stay long in that position, you’re worsening the pain. Sometimes using listening chairs for music can help relax the body and, by so doing, reduce sciatica pains as it helps to divert your mind.

How To Sit On Couch With Sciatica?

Sitting for a long time can worsen sciatica pains. But if you can’t help the need to sit on a couch, you must do it properly. Pressure should be minimized below the legs and thighs to keep a neutral spine.

Let us look at different ways to sit with sciatica:

Extended Hip Angle Sitting Position

An extended Hip Angle sitting position ensures a proper sitting posture, which reduces exertion on the back, chest, and neck. Your chair height too should be raised to ensure stability. The body’s weight should be evenly distributed to the bottom of the seat with a cushion. When on a seat, avoid turning and twisting your body as little as possible. Instead, use a swivel chair that rotates with the whole body.

Uncross Your Legs

Sitting this way will provide you with some relief and lower the compression of the nerve. The piriformis muscle will be stretched because you didn’t cross your legs. Crossing your legs always hinders good blood circulation. So, plant both feet on the ground and use a footrest to reduce the pressure below your thigh.

Use a Back Support

The lower back needs some support with a lumbar roll or a cushion. A cushion also prevents an excessive weight of your body in one corner of the body or bottom. Sit with a firm back support and sit close to the backrest for even weight distribution. If not, a pain in the lower back is possible.

Tips For Easing Sciatica Discomfort While Sitting

Stand up and move around for twenty minutes. This helps to reduce pains associated with sitting for a long time.
Use a rolled-up towel as support. Lumbar support is very necessary for the reduction of sciatica.
A footrest is considered if necessary; both of your feet should be it, while your chair should be elevated to the maximum height available.
When your spinal and pelvic muscles are relaxed. Raise your hips higher than your knees.
Increase the chair’s width. Great ergonomic chairs possess adjustable seats.
A good way of easing sciatica pains is by extending your leg muscles while sitting. Always move your legs while sitting; contract and extend them.
Finally, there is a need for legroom under your chair. This room is used to store printers, chords, and files. No cluster should be beneath the chair.

What Is The Fastest Way To Cure Sciatica?

The fastest way to cure sciatica is ice and heat therapy. Also, using a constraint relief cushion and engaging in tender exercise can help cure the pain. You can use heat packs, massage, and pain medications any time the pain becomes unbearable.

Sciatica pains ease off within weeks. It gets cured within 4 to 6 weeks. There are some easy remedies used to cure sciatica fast. Check these methods below.

Use of constraint relief cushion: In as much as it is recommended to keep moving, it is also necessary to take a rest. During the process of resting, a constraint relief cushion should be used to relax and sit comfortably. Back support is helpful for all those with back pain as it enables weight to be distributed effectively.
A Gentle Exercise: It is paramount to carry out your day-to-day activities because any body movement is essential to cure sciatica. Some stretches and gentle exercise are necessary once you start noticing sciatica symptoms. Anything that enables your body to move is very helpful.
The use of heat packs: Your pain will ease up instantly when a heat pack is held to the area of sciatica. Heat packs help revive sensory receptors, which causes the pain to stop. So if you have sciatica, a home heat pack should be readily available.
The Use of Massage: There is a special type of massage technique used for people with sciatica. A therapist is needed to give such a massage, or you can try it yourself. Learn a massage technique that works for you and incorporate them into your daily routine once you start noticing sciatica pains.
The use of Pain Medications: Pain medications are needed to ease the pain of sciatica. If the usual ones do not ease the pain, contact a pharmacist for a good recommendation. Your doctor might recommend psychological support or physiotherapy if the pain persists.

Ways To Prevent Sciatica Pains From Re-Occurring

Sciatica pains can return after curing it. Certain factors are responsible for this, such as age (Which happens to people over 30s, 40s, and 60s), diabetes, heavy lifting, and years of bending and sitting for too long. Sciatica symptoms may worsen when you sit for a long time, cough, laugh, and sneeze.

Here are ways to minimize the risk of sciatica repeating itself:

Apply good posture when sleeping, standing, and sitting to reduce back pressure.
Reduce nerve pressure by losing weight if you have so much weight.
Avoid smoking to prevent disc problems.
When lifting anything, lift with a straight back and bent legs.
Abstain from sitting for too long.

Conclusion

Making a livelihood with sciatic pains can be challenging because the discomfort interferes with your daily life. But it would help if you kept a positive mindset regardless of all the pains and aches. Sciatic is never as detrimental as perceived because symptoms improve under a few weeks of treatment. You can use ice and heat therapy to relieve the pain. Above in this article, we have shown you how to sit on couch with sciatica, and follow the tips and tricks to get relief from the pain.

Also, you can get a masseur to administer the appropriate massage to you. But if you have any discomfort due to sciatic back pain, patiently follow your doctor’s instructions.