How to Treat Lumbago With Sciatica

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Lumbago with sciatica refers to lower back pain that radiates down into the legs and feet. "Lumbago" is a term healthcare providers once commonly used to describe lower back pain, and sciatica is the accompanying pain shooting down your legs from irritation of the sciatic nerve. When both symptoms occur together, it can be especially debilitating.

Fortunately, when lumbago with sciatica strikes suddenly, there are some basic steps you can take at home to help speed your recovery, from stretching to taking over-the-counter pain relievers.

This article discusses more about lumbago with sciatica, including causes and treatment options.

If you are having neurological symptoms like leg weakness or loss of bowel or bladder control in addition to lumbar with sciatica pain, go to your healthcare provider or emergency room immediately. These symptoms may be a sign of a serious problem that requires medical care right away.

Symptoms of Lumbago With Sciatica

Most people who experience lumbar with sciatica feel symptoms on one side, but it's possible to have symptoms on both sides. The hallmark symptom is pain that feels like it's sharp or shooting down the leg. The pain can extend from the lower back to the butt and thigh and down to the toes. You may also feel a mild burning or tingling sensation.

These symptoms may get worse under the following conditions:

  • After standing or sitting
  • During certain times of the day
  • When sneezing, coughing, laughing, or reaching for something
  • When straining or holding your breath

Causes

Lumbar with sciatica occurs due to sciatic nerve damage or compression. The sciatic nerve runs from the lower back down to the toes, controlling muscles and providing sensation to the back of the leg.

A herniated disk or bulging disk is often the cause of lumbar with sciatica. This happens when a part of a disk's jellylike center (nucleus) pushes through its tougher exterior (annulus), pushing on the sciatic nerve. Risk factors for a herniated or bulging disk include:

  • Aging
  • Obesity
  • Acute injury, such as twisting the back by carrying a heavy load
  • Prolonged sitting
  • Diabetes

Less common causes of lumbar with sciatica include:

  • Spinal stenosis, which occurs when the space between the backbone narrows
  • Piriformis syndrome, which is a pain disorder involving the butt muscles
  • Injury or fracture
  • Spinal tumor (in rare cases)

Treating Lumbago With Sciatica

When acute and extreme low back pain strikes, your first reaction may be fear. But it's important to remember that it's possible for low back pain and sciatica to get better quite quickly. When caused by a herniated or bulging disk, about 90% of people will improve their symptoms with conservative management within four months. Sometimes, your low back pain may go away with no treatment whatsoever.

In the meantime, you can speed up recovery with some at-home strategies. If symptoms persist after a few days or if they are severe or get worse, it's best to contact a healthcare provider.

At-home Care

Taking over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen (Tylenol) can ease symptoms. So can icing the painful areas for a few days before switching to heat. Experts generally recommend icing for 15 to 20 minutes several times a day. Take at least a 15 to 20 minute break in between each icing session.

It may hurt to move, but healthcare providers do not recommend staying in bed while experiencing lumbago with sciatica. Instead, light movement and stretching can help strengthen your back and keep your spine healthy.

Here are some stretches that can help. If the pain moves away from your spine and worsens in your thigh or leg while doing these stretches, change positions right away.

Photo of a woman performing the upward dog yoga position.
David Lees/ Getty Images

Press-up exercise: This exercise is great for restoring the normal lordosis, or forward curve, in your low back.

  1. Lie on your stomach and place your arms at your sides.
  2. Turn your head to one side. Try to breathe naturally and relax your back.
  3. After a few minutes of lying on your stomach with arms at your side, slowly prop yourself up on your elbows while continuing to lie on your stomach.
  4. Remain in the propped-up position for a few minutes, and then slowly return to the prone or lying position.
  5. Repeat this cycle three to five times.
  6. Lie face down with your hands flat on the floor under your shoulders. Be sure to keep your low back relaxed.
  7. Slowly press up so that your upper body rises while your lower body remains on the floor.
  8. If your symptoms are pretty intense, you may not go very far. That is fine. Slowly lower down and rest for one to two seconds. Then press up again. Try to go a little further each time.
  9. As you press up, look for any changes in your symptoms. If your pain moves closer to the midline of your spine, it's a good sign.
  10. Repeat the press up 10 to 15 times, then relax once again on your stomach.

Supine hamstring stretch: This is one of many hamstring stretches that can be useful for activating the lower back muscles and hamstring muscle.

  1. Lie flat on your back.
  2. Lift your right foot and wrap either a belt or towel under the arch of the foot. (The belt would need to be long enough so that you can hold the ends and keep your leg straight.)
  3. Bend the left knee and rest that foot comfortably on the floor.
  4. Holding both ends of the belt, gently pull and lift your right foot toward the ceiling, keeping the leg straight.
  5. Keep your back flat on the floor. Avoid twisting to the side or pulling too hard. You should feel a stretch without any pain or discomfort.
  6. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
  7. Lower the leg and repeat on the opposite side.

Walking can actually improve sciatica pain, so it may help to push through. To reduce pain, go slow, shorten your stride, and try to put your foot down between the middle of your foot and your heel.

In-office Treatment

If exercises aren't helping, your healthcare provider may recommend:

  • Physical therapy
  • Steroid injections to reduce swelling around the nerve
  • Surgery to relieve pressure on the sciatica nerve (as a last resort)

Prevention

While sometimes you can't prevent low back pain and associated sciatica, such as in the case of an injury, there are routine measures you can take to keep your spine healthy:

  • Avoid prolonged sitting or lying.
  • Do regular core-strengthening exercises.
  • Maintain proper posture for your low back. (Using a small pillow or lumbar roll while sitting can help maintain the forward curve in your low back.)
Correct and bad spine sitting posture

neyro2008/Getty Images 

Summary

Lumbago with sciatica refers to low back pain that shoots down your legs, sometimes even going all the way to the toes. When it comes on, you may not be able to move, sit, stand, or work as well as you normally do.

Many times, this kind of pain goes away within weeks and can be relieved by gentle stretching. A healthcare provider may also recommend physical therapy or steroid injects. If symptoms include loss of bladder or bowel control, or you feel weakness in your legs, go to the ER or a healthcare provider right away. These symptoms can indicate a serious problem.

4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. MedlinePlus. Sciatica.

  2. Penn Medicine. Sciatica.

  3. Bailey, C. S., Rasoulinejad, P., Taylor, D., Sequeira, K., Miller, T., Watson, J., Rosedale, R., Bailey, S. I., Gurr, K. R., Siddiqi, F., Glennie, A., & Urquhart, J. C. (2020). Surgery versus conservative care for persistent sciatica lasting 4 to 12 months. New England Journal of Medicine, 382(12), 1093–1102. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa1912658

  4. Cornell Health. Low back pain.

Additional Reading
  • McKenzie, Robin, and Barry Graves. Treat Your Own Back. Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind.

By Brett Sears, PT
Brett Sears, PT, MDT, is a physical therapist with over 20 years of experience in orthopedic and hospital-based therapy.