A Trapped Sciatic Nerve

One of the most painful things that many of us will ever experience is putting our backs out. What happens here is that we bend over to pick something up, or we try to move something like a sofa, only for our back to suddenly have a back spasm and create the most overwhelming pain. At this point every single movement can become agony which can result in us limping around or even rolling around the floor unable to move. What's going on? And what can you do about it?

Well most likely what you're experiencing here is simply a trapped sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve s the nerve which runs from the bottom of your spine right up to your brain, and which branches off at the limbs and muscles along the way. In short, this nerve carries the information from all the way in your right toe up to your brain, and so it's very painful if something should happen to it as it affects every single move you make.

Unfortunately what tends to happen relatively commonly is that you trap the nerve in your spine down the bottom or otherwise damage it which results in the intense pain you're feeling now. Often this will simply be a matter of moving in the wrong way which can cause the nerve to then become trapped in the spinal column, but in other cases it can be a result of swelling in the area pressing against the nerve, or of a trauma or bruise.

Sometimes avoiding this situation is impossible, however there are still certain things you can do to reduce the likelihood of suffering from a trapped sciatic nerve. For one it's important to avoid making sudden movements with the back and to generally avoid bending when it possible - instead bending at the knees or getting onto all fours - particularly as you get older. This is also especially important first thing in the morning, at which point the spine will be at its most supple and fragile making a trapped nerve and back spasm relatively likely to occur.

If you do suffer from a trapped nerve and associated back spasm, then it's important to rest it and give it time to recover. You will generally find that you return to normal within a week or so - but if you don't then you should seek medical attention in case the problem is caused by a slipped disk.

In the meantime pain can be managed with analgesics and with a hot or cool compress. You might also benefit from the use of a tens machine which will send small electric shocks into the area to cause the surrounding nerves to fire thus 'mixing up' the pain signal to the brain.

You might also get some relief from stretches and exercises designed to stretch out the spine. Try lying on your back with your feet up on a chair at right angles, or arching and lowering your back like a cat. Imagine your spine squeezing the nerve and basically move in ways that would give it more space.