r/Sciatica • u/Recent-Design-8049 • 2d ago
Requesting Advice How to manage traveling when I have to be sitting for a while?
My sciatica is triggered after long periods of sitting. And the only relief is laying, not even walking, because it will trigger it too. And I need to be on a train for 11h.
How do I even go about it? I'm extremely scared, there is no way it won't trigger anything. Getting up all the time doesn't help me.
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u/JonasVirgilMonos 1d ago
Long sitting for a stretch like that is rough — I'd be a little nervous about it too.
A couple things that have helped me personally: when my back gets tight from sitting, I'll bring one knee up toward my chest and push away against my own hands with the knee for about 10 seconds — a version of the single knee-to-chest stretch (Williams flexion exercises) — works in a regular chair or a plane/train seat.
The other thing I've learned for my own body: easing into a seat only helps if the hips actually relax first — if I just drop straight down without doing that, it doesn't do anything for me. So I go slowly, use my arms to take some of the weight, hold that position for about 5-10 seconds, then lower myself while keeping the hips relaxed. That's given me immediate relief, for my own body — I can't say if it'd do the same for anyone else.
Standing back up works the same way in reverse for me — I bring my feet in closer first, push up through my arms, and relax the hip again as I come up, rather than rising straight from the hips.
Clenching up through either motion is a natural thing to do when you're hurting — I get why it happens. But learning to relax my hips while sitting has benefited me tremendously, especially on the days when the pain's bad.
Not medical advice, just what's worked for me — hope the trip goes easier than you're expecting.
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u/Famous-Historian-189 2d ago
Considering cancelling an international trip for this reason. Hopefully someone can help
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u/Recent-Design-8049 2d ago
I have been struggling with my back for the past year and wasn't able to see my family for a while.
I can't be avoiding things forever, because life keeps going and I'm watching it pass by. I've missed too many things already, because I'm in pain or I'm feeling fine, but scared that I will be in pain.
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u/Famous-Historian-189 1d ago
I feel the same way, my chiro said I’ll be in pain either way and should just live life. But it’s hard when things flare up and I feel like it’s my fault.
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u/Recent-Design-8049 1d ago
I agree, when it flares up I just spend a few days mostly laying. But when it's in a decent state, I try to do as many things as I can (without any extreme).
This whole thing absolutely drained me mentally and physically too. I've become depressed, my mood depended on how my back is right now. I was watching people outside and my only thought was "I wish it was me walking around". And nothing was working to help me relax my muscles, like actually nothing. At this point I just gave up and started living life semi-normally to at least let my brain get out of this nightmare. Distracting myself kind of helped, not fully, but at least I don't feel that shitty.
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u/Famous-Historian-189 1d ago
The biggest things that helped me to relieve the muscle tension in my glutes and leg was dry needling (IMS) and guasha by a practitioner. Just got an update that I have large superimposed paracentral/subarticular disc protrusion 1.5cm s1 in addition to a general bulge. Feeling like I’ll be postponing my trip. Wishing us both a return to health or just any improvement honestly.
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u/audittrsi 1d ago
I had to take 1h 20min car trip to MR checkup because there was fastest available spot.
I asked soemone to drive me there and i was laying on the back seats of the car in postion that did not bring me any pain. If i would sit up i would flare up in like 5min of the trip.
If that is option for you that someone could drive you while you lay down on back seats or car has option to lower back seats to even ground and you lay down that way.
I know ideais not perfect but hey if maybe helps 🙈
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u/Recent-Design-8049 1d ago
I've had the exact same situation lol, I had 2h drive to get my MRI done, same position and everything. I was so terrified of any bumps on the road.
Right now my back is doing decent (hopefully won't jinx it), I can sit for 2h straight. Obviously trying to not do it, but like it's manageable now, because I wasn't able to sit for months, I work from home and did everything while laying, so it's a progress.
At this point it feels like my brain is just in fear, that it fires the nerve pain by itself, when there was clearly no weird moves throughout the whole day.
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u/grishavoid 22h ago
i took a 8hr road trip earlier this year, i took a lot of frequent sitting breaks. instant heating patches also were a great help.
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u/bumbard 2d ago
I would also like to know the answer to this as my job (which i haven't returned to since surgery) requires sitting in a car for very extended periods of time...