Why Women Get Sciatica and How to Treat It

From womeninbalance.org 

Sciatica describes pain from the sciatic nerve in the lower back, through the hips and buttocks, and down each leg. This form of pain is caused by a nerve being compressed or irritated, often due to a bone spur or herniated disc. Those who experience sciatica frequently feel a sharp, shooting, or burning pain, along with numbness, weakness, or tingling. 

While men get sciatica more frequently, women are more likely to experience long-term pain. Keep reading to learn the most common reasons for women getting sciatica and how you can treat it for long-term relief. 

Common Causes of Sciatica in Women 

There is no single cause of sciatica. Ask experts from chiropractic clinics like The Joint, and you’ll learn that women can be at risk of this form of nerve pain for several different reasons. Here are just some of the many:  

• Aging: As we age, the discs in our spines can degenerate, leading to conditions like bone spurs and herniation that press on the sciatic nerve and cause pain and discomfort.
• Pregnancy: Women who have never experienced sciatic nerve pain before can suddenly get it when they are pregnant. This is because the growing uterus can press on the sciatic nerve. Weight gain while pregnant can also be a contributing factor.    
• Obesity: You may be more at risk of experiencing sciatic pain if you’re overweight or obese. The excess body weight increases spinal stress, sometimes resulting in changes to the spine.
• Sedentary lifestyle: If you sit for extended periods, such as in an office job, you may be more likely to experience sciatica than someone who is more active in their daily work.  
• Physical lifestyle: Engaging in activities like heavy lifting, awkward movements, and twisting your back can put you at risk of this form of nerve pain. 
• Diabetes: If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you can be at an increased risk of nerve damage, leading to sciatica.  
• Spinal conditions: Both men and women who have spinal conditions can be at risk of sciatica. These include spinal disc herniation, where a disc bulges and presses on the sciatic nerve, and spondylolisthesis, where a vertebra slips forward over another, compressing the nerve. 

How to Treat Sciatica 

How you decide to treat sciatica is a personal decision. Some people experience relief through natural, non-invasive treatment options, while others prefer medication and surgery. If you’re currently exploring treatment options for sciatica, here are some of the most common ones to discuss with your preferred healthcare provider: 

Chiropractic Care

If you are one of the up to 40% of people who will experience sciatica in their lifetime, you may decide to explore chiropractic care to manage and relieve sciatic pain. Routine chiropractic care visits involve gentle, non-invasive therapy to improve function and reduce inflammation. Experienced chiropractors use a number of treatment options to assist their clients, based on the cause of their sciatic pain and their preferences, such as: 

• Spinal adjustments
• Flexion-distraction 
• Pelvic blocking
• Soft tissue therapies
• Therapeutic exercises 

Through such care, there’s potential for you to improve your flexibility, activity, and range of motion, as well as reduce pain, discomfort, and inflammation. 

At-Home Remedies

If you’re looking for at-home remedies to help ease your sciatica between professional therapies, there are a number of things to try: 

• Regular gentle movement and changing positions
• Heat and cold therapy 
• Stretching and gentle exercises 
• Maintaining good posture while standing and sitting 
• Using pillows for support  

Medication

When you seek fast relief so you can carry on with everyday activities, medication can sometimes be helpful. Many people with sciatica use muscle relaxants to address sciatica-related muscle spasms, acetaminophen and NSAIDs for managing pain and inflammation, and nerve pain medications for alleviating nerve pain. Depending on the severity of your sciatica, your healthcare provider may recommend epidural steroid injections, which provide anti-inflammatory effects. 

Surgery 

For some people, sciatica isn’t just a mild form of pain or discomfort that they can manage in everyday life. It can be debilitating and stop them from doing everyday activities. In such severe cases, and when conservative treatment options like chiropractic care and at-home remedies aren’t helpful, surgery may be recommended. In most cases, surgery is to address the underlying cause of the sciatica, like spinal stenosis or a herniated disc. 

Ways to Prevent Sciatica

Knowing the extent of discomfort women may experience with sciatica, they can prevent its onset through certain lifestyle adjustments. Following the tips below should be enough to help you steer clear of its effects and improve your well-being as you age:

1. Assume natural postures: The onset of sciatica is largely caused by poor posture. Regardless of what you do and where you work, assuming unnatural postures could cause a prolonged misalignment of your spine. The pain will only get worse if you don’t become conscious of your posture, especially when standing, sitting, or sleeping. With this in mind, be careful not to strain your spine. Keep your muscles relaxed and straighten your back, especially if you’re sitting for long periods.

2. Abandon bad habits: Along with proper posture, you will need to make sure your bones are properly nurtured. For sure, you can’t do it when you still indulge in destructive habits like smoking. The nicotine in tobacco could increase inflammation and worsen spinal disc degeneration as you age. If you want to sustain a healthy back when you enter old age, then you’re better off not smoking at all.

3. Listen to your body: Sciatica prevention is all about knowing your body’s limits and recognizing possible hazards that could worsen the condition. When you’re exercising, for instance, make sure you’re not overextending your back and limbs. You have reached your limit when you feel unbearable pain. When you’re running or jogging, be mindful of your surroundings and commit to a consistent pace. Slips and falls could cause you to land on your back and disturb the sciatic nerve. 

Sciatica isn’t just frustrating; it can be painful and life-changing, preventing you from enjoying the activities you once loved. If you’re living with this form of nerve pain, explore some of these remedies above. Something as straightforward as routine chiropractic care or heat therapy may provide the relief you seek. 

https://womeninbalance.org/2025/10/27/why-women-get-sciatica-and-how-to-treat-it/

What Is the Best Treatment for Sciatica?

From webmd.com

Sciatica is pain that starts in your lower back and shoots down through your legs. It usually happens when something, such as a herniated disk or bone spur, presses on your sciatic nerve. You might have sharp, intense pain, as well as tingling, weakness, and numbness in your legs.

It causes pain and discomfort, but there are many treatments for it. Most people with sciatica don’t end up needing surgery, and about half get better within 6 weeks with home treatment, rest, and medication.

Your sciatic nerve branches off from your spinal cord. Pressure on the nerve can cause pain. (Photo credit: iStock/Getty Images)

Home Sciatica Treatment

Many mild cases of sciatica can be treated at home. Even more severe cases that need medical treatment can be helped by these home treatments.

Rest

Avoid strenuous activities. Light activities such as walking and stretching are good for you, but you want to avoid putting any more stress and strain on your back.

Ice and heat

Using an ice pack can help reduce some swelling and pain. Heat can also soothe your discomfort. For the first few days, use an ice pack several times a day for 20 minutes. After that, you can switch to using a warm compress or a heating pad several times a day for 20 minutes.

Sciatica stretches

Some of the best stretches to relieve sciatica pain focus on the piriformis muscle, which runs from the bottom of your spine to the top of your thigh. Stretches for your hamstrings, which are the muscles along the back of your thighs, can also help.

Here are two to try:

• Piriformis stretch: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Lift your right foot off the floor and cross your ankle over your left knee. Let your right knee fall out to the side. Next, lift your left foot off the floor and use both hands to grab around your left thigh. Gently pull it toward your chest. You should feel the stretch in your rear end. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.

• Hamstring stretch: Lie on your back on the floor with your left knee bent and foot on the floor and your right leg stretched out. Lift your right leg and grab behind the thigh with both hands. Keep the leg as straight as you can and pull it towards you. You’ll feel this stretch along the back of your thigh. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.

• 
  

• Sciatica exercises

  Improving your core strength can build support for your spine and help you avoid sciatica. Your core muscles are the muscles around your midsection -- your abdominals and lower back.

  Do these exercises a few times a week:

  Trunk rotations: Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your knees together. Lift your feet and bring your knees slowly over to the right side. Keep your shoulder blades pressed into the ground as you do this. Go as far as you can without your left shoulder blade coming off the floor. Then bring your legs back through the centre and over to the left. Keep moving back and forth, repeating the sequence 10 times on each side.

  Plank: Get on all fours with your shoulders over your wrists. Tuck your toes and walk your feet back so your knees lift off the floor and your body is in one straight line from your feet to your head. Pull your core muscles in tight and hold this position for 15-30 seconds. Put your knees down to rest for a bit, then do the exercise two more times.

  Over-the-counter medicines

  Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen can relieve pain and swelling.

  Non-surgical Sciatica Treatment

  If other therapies and over-the-counter medications aren't working for you, you still have options that don't include surgery.

• Prescription medications and injections for sciatica

  Your doctor may give you a prescription medication such as painkillers and muscle relaxers. Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil) and anti-seizure medications can work for nerve-based and chronic pain.

  Corticosteroid injections can offer relief for up to 3 months.

  Yoga for sciatica

  As yoga combines stretching and low-impact strength training, practicing it regularly may help you heal and prevent sciatica. Try these poses to keep your spine and hips flexible:

  • Dragon pose: Start in a tabletop position, then bring your right foot between your hands. Next, slide your left leg backward, keeping your toes tucked. You should feel a stretch in your left hip and thigh. Hold the pose for up to 5 minutes before switching sides.

  • Cobra pose: Lie on your stomach with your legs together and place your palms on either side of your chest. Next, lift your head, chest, and stomach up towards the ceiling using mostly the strength in your lower back muscles. Repeat this move four to five times.

  • Sciatica massage

    The main way massage therapy can help you with sciatica pain is by relaxing tight muscles that put pressure on your sciatic nerve. Massage therapy also boosts blood flow to the affected area, speeding up healing.

    Other sciatica-supportive therapies

    Research shows that acupuncture can help you safely manage sciatica pain. During treatment, an acupuncturist places thin needles into your skin to stimulate your body’s nervous and immune systems, which releases natural endorphins that help relieve pain. A natural therapy called biofeedback can be helpful. Therapists use sensors to monitor your body and teach you how to better control some functions, such as muscle tension.

    Should I see a chiropractor for sciatica?

    A chiropractor might be able to help your sciatica. They will make adjustments to your joints to help realign your spine, which may ease pressure on your sciatic nerve. They can also recommend stretches and other strengthening exercises.

    Sciatica Surgery

    Very few people need to have surgery for sciatica. If you have severe symptoms that make it hard to do your everyday activities, or if there are signs that your sciatica is causing nerve damage, your doctor might recommend surgery.

    The are several options for sciatica surgery:

    Microdiscectomy. During this procedure, your surgeon removes small pieces of bone, disk, and ligament pressing on your nerve. It's considered a minimally invasive procedure that only requires a small incision. You’ll have general anaesthesia to put you to sleep so you don't feel anything. You'll usually be able to go home the same day.

    Laminectomy. The lamina is part of the ring of bone that covers the spinal cord. During a laminectomy, your surgeon removes the lamina and any tissue pressing on the nerve that’s causing you pain. You will get general anaesthesia, meaning you will not be awake during the operation. You’ll be released from the hospital the same day, with instructions to start walking the day after you get home.

    Foraminotomy: Your vertebrae protect the nerves that run through your spine, but sometimes the opening where they leave the spinal canal is too small, putting pressure on your nerves. During a foraminotomy, your surgeon will widen the opening and remove any blockages. You’ll have general anaesthesia for the operation and should be able to go home 1 or 2 days later. Your doctor might recommend that you avoid certain movements for a while, but most people can return to light exercise within a few weeks.

    Spinal fusion surgery: Spinal fusion surgery joins two or more vertebrae together, usually with screws and metal rods. This provides more support for your spine and helps take pressure off your nerves. The procedure can take up to 4 hours. You'll have general anaesthesia, and you will need to stay in the hospital for 2-3 days. It may take several months for you to fully heal.

  • Sciatica Treatment Side Effects

    Most nonsurgical sciatica treatments don't have side effects. If you take medicine, side effects are always possible.

    • Over-the-counter pain relievers can sometimes cause stomach upset. Prescription medications often have side effects, but not everyone will have them.
    • Anti-seizure medications might cause dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, or swelling in the feet and legs. 
    • Muscle relaxants can cause drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, and headache. 
    • Steroid injections can make you feel sore around the injection site or cause temporary skin thinning and discoloration. Some people also have insomnia, facial flushing, or high blood sugar after steroid treatment. There is a chance of very sharp pain, called a post-injection flare.

    As sciatica surgeries deal with nerve tissue, there’s a small chance of nerve damage. As with most surgeries, it’s also possible that you could get an infection during recovery.

    Sciatica Treatment Complications

    With most sciatica treatments, you won't have any problems.

    Over-the-counter medication can have some complications:

    • Over-the-counter pain relievers are generally safe. In rare cases, taking a lot of ibuprofen for a long time can increase your risk of having a stroke or heart attack.

    • Taking too much acetaminophen can damage your liver.

    Some people shouldn't take these medications because they can interact with some prescription medicines and make certain health conditions worse. Always ask your doctor first if it's safe for you, how much you should take, and for how long.

    Prescription medications tend to pose more of a risk:

    • Anti-seizure medications can damage your liver. They may also slightly raise the risk of having suicidal thoughts and actions.

    • Muscle relaxants can be addictive. Strong prescription pain relievers such as opioids can also be addictive. If you have a history of addiction, you shouldn't take these medicines.

    Complications from surgery

    Like most operations that use general anaesthesia, there’s a chance of blood clots and heart attack during any surgery for sciatica. Other risks include:

    • Infection
    • Damage to your spinal cord or other nerves
    • Reactions to anaesthetics or sedatives
    • Recurrence
    • A lot of bleeding
    • Spinal fluid leak
    • Lower range of motion in your back
    • Less stability in your spine

    Takeaways

    Sciatica is very common. As much as 40% of people in the U.S. have it at some point in their life. Most cases of sciatica will go away within several weeks and shouldn't worry you. If your pain doesn’t improve after a few weeks or if it gets worse, speak with your doctor about treatment options.

    Sciatica Treatment FAQs

    What triggers sciatica? 

    A herniated disk in the spine is one of the most common causes of sciatica, but other factors, such as bad posture, obesity, or pregnancy can also trigger it. In rare cases, a tumour or cyst can cause sciatica.

    How do you get rid of sciatic nerve pain?

    You can usually treat a mild case of sciatica yourself with a combination of heat, ice, over-the-counter pain medication, and stretching and strengthening exercises. For more severe pain, your doctor might recommend physical therapy, steroid injections, or surgery.

    Will sciatica go away on its own?

    Most cases resolve themselves within 4-6 weeks, but if you have more severe symptoms, it might take longer.

    What relaxes the sciatic nerve?

    Stretching, heat, and over-the-counter anti-inflammatories can all help relax the sciatic nerve.

    https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/treatment-for-sciatica