Case Summary  |  Weight Loss Helped With My Sciatica Flareup

I worked as a manager for a restaurant and was on my feet for ten to twelve hours at a time. I always felt fine at work -- the trouble would begin once I sat down after my shift ended. After a 30-minute commute home, for example, my lower back and the upper part of my right leg were so cramped that I often had trouble getting out of my car. The cramps would last for several hours afterwards, and I frequently had trouble falling asleep because of the pain. I thought I was just sitting wrong in my car, and went for about two months before the pain drove me to my doctor's office.

She diagnosed me with sciatica, and told me that if I lost some weight, it would definitely help with my pain. In the meantime, she recommended that I elevate my legs as soon as possible when I arrived home, and gave me a series of stretches to perform before and after work.

It took me about a year to lose around thirty-five pounds, but my doctor was absolutely right -- the pain in my sciatica diminished tremendously with the weight loss. I began treating myself to massages once a month, which helped as well. I also made a point of sitting taller in my car on my commutes, because I found that any slumping or hunching in my seat aggravated the pain.

I still have flareups occasionally, but they're nowhere near as painful as before, and the cramps don't last nearly as long. And I feel like I have much more control over what is happening with my body than I did before, which is a powerful sensation in its own right.