Finding sciatica relief at work can be incredibly frustrating; luckily, there are some products out there that can help in recovery from this condition, or at least give you some respite from the nagging pain associated with it. My hope is that this will allow you to work with less pain and therefore less distraction… As no one likes to feel unproductive in the work place!
Aims of this post:
- To give you a list of the top products and tips for finding sciatica relief at work
- To talk about which ones might be the most useful for YOU depending on your circumstances
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How to Find Sciatica Relief at Work
Making sure that workers find sciatica relief at work should be of the utmost importance; work days lost to back pain and sciatica make up a staggering 12.5% of the total days lost for any medical condition!
Sometimes, I will find that a person’s sciatica might not be improving because they are aggravating their problem every day through their work. These people are effectively making their sciatica worse without even realising it!
Sciatica from a disc bulge is especially common in office workers. Sitting for long periods of time is no good for a bulging disc, and will likely worsen your sciatica.
This is because sitting puts pressure on the discs and can cause a bulge to temporarily worsen when you’re in that position.
Quite often I hear complaints of increased pain after a hard day at the office and this is usually attributed to stress; while sometimes this is true, a great proportion of times it is due to the way that person is sitting at work all day. If you are sitting in a way that aggravates the nerve root causing your sciatica all day, there is no way you will find sciatica relief at work.
This is why it is so important to make sure that the way you are sitting at work is completely optimised in order to facilitate a rapid recovery from sciatica.
Think about it this way: If you’re sitting in a way that puts your bulging disc in a position where it is pressing on a nerve root for 8 hours each day, it’s no wonder the total sum of this aggravation leads to significant pain after work!
You can read more about the recovery time we might expect with a disc bulge HERE.
Below are some of my top products for beating a bulging disc and finding sciatica relief at work. All of these products have been used by patients I have worked with and they have given me good feedback on each one – that’s how I can confidently recommend them.
Of course, not all the products will help everyone to find sciatica relief at work as everyone’s work day is different, but hopefully there will be some products on this page that you may not have considered before and have potential to help you.
Please note – I will receive a small commission should you purchase one of these products through a link on this website to help with the running costs of the site. If you would prefer for me not to receive this, you can search for the product on Google instead of using my link.
Products to Help Sciatica Relief at Work – DESK JOBS
Lumbar Rolls
One good tip is to purchase a lumbar roll that slips behind your lower back to support it while sitting. This piece of kit helps to maintain the natural curve of your spine, called the “lordosis”. This will naturally relieve the pressure of the bulging disc from the nerve root in your back.
This cushion provides great lower back support without compromising comfort:
The thing I like about this one is that it doesn’t place too much of a wedge behind your back, so still lets you feel as if you are sitting naturally, while providing ample support to the lower back.
Another lumbar roll that gives even more support through a more robust cushion segment is:
The pillow placement is quite individual, but most find at least some relief from these products.
To find out if this product might be for you, I would recommend rolling up a towel, placing it in the small of your back and sitting with it in position for some time.
If you find that you have less pain when you stand up after compared to normal, one of these products may well bring you significant relief when sitting at work or driving.
Seat Rings
Sitting on your bottom when you have a bulging disc can be extremely painful – it can even feel like you’re “sat on a stone“!
This is because the sciatic nerve runs through your bottom. Any pressure on this already-aggravated nerve is likely to worsen your pain overall, preventing you from finding sciatica relief at work if you have an office job.
If this sounds like you, or you think your sciatica might be due to Piriformis syndrome, then purchasing a seat ring might give you significant sciatica relief at work. This ring is the one I’ve found to be most comfortable when reported back to me by clients:
The benefit of the memory foam over simple inflatable cushions is the robustness of the cushion. Through firmer support, but a targeted pressure relieving area, your bottom can be well supported without any weight going through the area problem area.
Although this cushion is around £10 more expensive than the blow up ones, my clients all report it being worth the extra initial outlay when looking for significant sciatica relief at work. You are also more likely to get a greater durability from this model.
Are You Looking for RAPID Relief from Sciatica?
My good friend, colleague and fellow international sciatica expert, Dean Volk, has a brand new sciatica relief video course available – and I’m delighted to be an official sponsor!
Check out Dean Volk’s “Kicking Sciatica OUT of the Butt!” Online Pain Relief Course Here!
I can proudly recommend Dean and his course for sciatica sufferers – because I’ve seen his incredible results first-hand. You can check out his course (and get lifetime access to the videos and bonus content) by clicking HERE.
Standing Desks
A lot of offices have a team of occupational health personnel, whose job it is to make sure your working environment is “optimised” to minimise the risk of worsening your painful problem. They will be able to come to your desk and ensure that the seat height and table position is right for you.
I would strongly recommend seeking help from these people in your workplace… And if they aren’t available, that’s a discussion to have with your manager as there are some legal workplace rights in the UK especially for this type of thing.
Alternatively, you could try a standing desk – a relatively new invention that has really gained popularity in some big offices due to its potential for sciatica relief at work amongst many other health ailments.
This one is a great solution; it comes straight out of the box so no assembly is required, and it’s portable so you can use it at home and at the office, too.
1home Sit-Stand Height Adjustable Desk Converter Standing up Work Station Easy Lift
It might be worth a conversation with your HR department at work if you have one. Quite often, they are able to sort offices for workers who are suffering from sciatica to optimise the environment and allow sciatica relief at work for that person.
Remember: someone in pain can never give their 100% to a work place, so remind them that it’s in their best interests to help you out!
Products for Sciatica Relief at Work – PHYSICAL JOBS
Lifting Belt
If you work in a manual job and you have to lift heavy objects regularly, it is really important that you take no risks during the crucial 12 week healing period after a disc injury.
It is possible to significantly worsen your symptoms if you try to lift something too heavy with incorrect technique. Ask someone to help you out if this is at all possible.
I wouldn’t normally recommend a lifting belt to a patient if I could help it, just due to the effect it has on the core muscles – it makes these muscles “lazy” through regular use as it does the job of the muscles for them, and so they stop doing their usual work.
However, if lifting something is completely unavoidable, a lifting belt can make this possible while reducing the risk of a further injury. This one here is the best I have found online and comes very reasonably priced, too:
See it here.
TENS Machine
I created an in-depth guide to the best TENS machines on the market HERE. However, for active workers, it isn’t always practical to take time out of the working day to sit down and apply the TENS pads.
Below is a fantastic product I found that you can attach to yourself while you’re on the go, eliminating the need to stop your busy day to find significant sciatica relief at work.
Kinetik Wellbeing Wireless TENS Pain Reliever
This device works like a normal TENS machine, but it is wireless so you have no risk of getting tangled in wires and it won’t get in the way of your normal work.
It has 5 therapeutic settings, a 20 minute treatment time and 15 different intensities.
Heat and Cold Pads
Another option for sciatica relief at work when you have an active job is to purchase some self-adhesive heat pads. These will help to alleviate muscle spasm and soothe painful areas on the go, whilst also helping your muscles maintain their natural subtlety even throughout a stressful day.
These heat pads are great value and have superb reviews online:
12 x Packs Of Self Adhesive Heat Pads relieves aches & pains 2 Per Pack
Some people prefer cold pads to help provide natural pain relief without needing to reach for the pain killers; these cold packs are also self-adhesive and provide great pain relief.
They can be applied to the back or the leg to provide sciatica relief at work (where you apply them is solely a matter of preference; there’s no right or wrong).
This option includes 24 cold packs which contains adhesive strips to allow you to attach them while on-the-go:
Medline MDS158055 Perineal OB Pad Cold Pack, Premium, 6.75″ x 14.25″ (Pack of 24)
Another option is a strap-on, re-usable cold pack. The only disadvantage is the need to re-charge it after every use. They are very reasonably priced, though:
Premium Hot Cold Gel Ice Pack with Compress Wrap
Summary
So those are my highly recommended products for sciatica relief at work. Although they aren’t going to directly fix the problem, they are likely to give you the pain relief you need in order to get through your day while optimising your environment for a recovery from sciatica.
Thanks very much for reading. If you have found the information in this article useful, please consider sharing so others can get the same benefits, too!
If you have any questions about the products in this article, why not drop me a comment below and I’ll get straight back to you.
Are You Looking for RAPID Relief from Sciatica?
My good friend, colleague and fellow international sciatica expert, Dean Volk, has a brand new sciatica relief video course available – and I’m delighted to be an official sponsor!
Check out Dean Volk’s “Kicking Sciatica OUT of the Butt!” Online Pain Relief Course Here!
I can proudly recommend Dean and his course for sciatica sufferers – because I’ve seen his incredible results first-hand. You can check out his course (and get lifetime access to the videos and bonus content) by clicking HERE.
The information on Overcome Sciatica should never be used as a substitute for medical advice from a doctor. Never put into action any tips or techniques from Overcome Sciatica without checking with your doctor first. Please see full terms of use here.